Nancy Schon, the sculptor of the Make Way for Ducklings statues and dear friend of our namesake Father Thomas Carroll, created the Gateway to Independence sculpture to inspire the Carroll Center’s clients. The Gateway to Independence sculpture stands in our courtyard between the Lulie Gund Center for Vision Rehabilitation and the Rachel Rosenbaum Technology Center, symbolizing the past, present, and future for those whose lives have changed due to their vision loss.

The sculpture’s twenty blue stepping stones represent the twenty losses that Father Carroll describes in his book Blindness. Additionally, the gateway’s hexagonal pillars include bells for the present. The bells produce a soft jingle in the wind allowing all those who visit the piece to witness its beauty regardless of their ability to see. The globes atop the pillars light up when someone approaches the sculpture, symbolizing how the Carroll Center helps “light up the world” positively impacting the future.

We are grateful to the many donors who dedicated a bell on this inspiring sculpture! Next time you visit the Carroll Center campus, we invite you to explore the Gateway to Independence and be inspired by the meaningful dedications, quotes, and messages on the plaques beneath each bell.