In 1784, Valentin Haüy undertook to teach François Lesueur to read with the help of the Société philanthropique, a group of benefactors dedicated to various philanthropic projects, which enabled him to prove the efficiency of his method.

Sébastien Guillié, who had established the first ophthalmological clinic in France, became its director, but he was forced to leave the position in 1821 due to the brutality he exerted against his pupils.

[3] Despite this, it was still notable as a location where blind pupils could receive education in grammar, music, history, and science.

The institute continued to produce a number of successful organists, such as André Marchal, Jean Langlais, and Gaston Litaize.

[4] Perkins School for the Blind, attended by the famed American deafblind woman Helen Keller, was founded after Samuel Gridley Howe visited the INJA.