Today, almost two million people in Britain are living with sight loss. RNIB has been here to support people with sight loss since 1868.
1860 to 1900
1868 - RNIB is founded
On 16 October 1868 RNIB was founded as the British and Foreign Blind Association for Improving the Embossed Literature of the Blind.
We were founded by Dr. Thomas Rhodes Armitage, who was himself partially sighted. The first meeting was held at 33 Cambridge Square, London, where a Committee was set up consisting of Dr. Armitage (partially sighted), Mr. Daniel Conolly (blind), Mr. W.W. Fenn (blind), and Dr. James Gale (blind).
1869 - First name change
On 10 March 1869 our name was changed to the British and Foreign Blind Association for Improving the Embossed Literature of the Blind and Promoting their Employment.
1870 - Braille
On 5 May 1870 it was decided that braille was the format the Association should promote as the best format currently available for blind people.
A team of blind people studied the many embossed formats available and interviewed a large number of blind people who used the various formats. They decided that from their experience of using each, braille was both the most suitable to read by touch and the most adaptable to the varying needs of a broad education.
In 1871 we published the UK's first key to the braille alphabet and music notation.
An official code for braille music, ensuring that everybody was writing music using the same braille systems was not developed for roughly another 60 years.
1875 - The Queen
Her Majesty Queen Victoria became the first Patron.
Queen Victoria took a great interest in our work and on many occasions used blind scribes provided by us to take down dictation.
1861 - 'Progress' first published
April 1881 RNIB began publishing its first braille magazine, "Progress". 130 years on this magazine is still being published.
1889 - Arabic braille
We developed an Arabic braille code and began printing the Koran for use of blind students in Egypt.
RNIB's work with Arabic braille led to our strong links with the Zeitoun School for Blind Boys in Cairo, which was founded by Mrs. Armitage in 1901.
1892 - The Auxiliary Union of the BFBA is formed
This Auxiliary Union was a group within BFBA (later RNIB) set up to transcribe books into braille by hand. The Union was made up mostly of women, who were spread all over the UK and worked in their own homes.
1893 - Dictionary of braille contractions
In 1893 we released our first dictionary of braille contractions and asked that all of our transcribers conform to these rules.
This first dictionary was developed by Mrs. F.H. Plumptree. We developed a version for sighted readers that showed how the braille as it should be written, not as it would be read. A braille version was, of course, also published.
1901 to 1930
1902 - 206 Great Portland Street
In 1902 our offices moved from Cambridge Square to Great Portland Street
Following the death of Mrs. Armitage, the widow of the late Dr. Armitage, in 1901, we became a Registered Association.
In 1902 our charity moved from being based in Dr. Armitage's own home at 33 Cambridge Square, London to its first official Headquarters at 206 Great Portland Street.
1914 - second name change
In 1914 the name of our organisation changed to The National Institute for the Blind, or NIB.
1914 - expanding offices
In 1914 we moved to new premises at 224, 226 and 228 great Portland Street
1914 - The Moon Society
The Moon Society was established in 1847 at Queen's Road, Brighton, to spread the use of reading by means of Moon Type, the raised reading system invented by Dr. Moon. It promoted Moon all over the world and supplied.
1915 - National Institute of Massage
In 1915 we took over the National Institute of Massage, and founded the National Institute for the Blind School of Massage.
1918 - Sunshine Home for Blind Babies
In 1918 our first 'Sunshine Home for Blind Babies' was opened. The first Sunshine Home was opened at Chorleywood, Hertfordshire. Generally these homes looked after blind children between 6 months and 6 years of age.
1921 - Chorleywood College
In 1921 Chorleywood College was founded by NIB
1925 - Holiday Home
We opened our first Convalescent and Holiday Home at St. Leonards-on-Sea in 1925.
1927 - Braille Radio Times
We first published the Braille Radio Times in April 1927.
1929 - British Wireless for the Blind Fund.
Under the guidance of Sir Beachcroft Towse, at the time Vice Chairman of NIB the British Wireless for the Blind Fund was established. The charity later became entirely separate from RNIB.
1930 to 1950
1935 - Talking Books Service
In 1935 we introduced Talking Books, which is still one of our flagship services.
1936 - Worcester College
NIB took over all financial responsibility for Worcester College for Blind Boys in 1936.
1940 - Civilian Rehabilitation Centre
Sir Beachcroft Towse, member of RNIB's Executive Council, himself blinded during the Boer War, offered his house, Long Meadow, at Goring on Thames, for use as a rehabilitation centre. Several other centres followed.
1948 - Royal Charter
We received our Royal Charter, although our name wouldn't officially include "Royal" for five more years.
1950 - RNIB Northern Ireland
On 11 October 1950 we established our Northern Ireland branch in Belfast.
1951 to 1980
1953 - RNIB arrives!
Our name was officially changed to the Royal National Institute for the Blind, having received the Royal Charter in 1948.
1962 - National Eye Donor Scheme
RNIB started the National Eye Donor Scheme to encourage people to donate their eyes after death for corneal grafting and other therapeutic purposes.
1981 to present day
1992 - 'Big Print'
RNIB's large print newspaper and television listings, 'Big Print', was first issued.
1995 - RNIB online
Im 1995 we launched our first website. It's changed a bit since then!
1997 - Helpline
Our Helpline was launched in 1997. If you want to contact RNIB for help, support or advice our number these days is 0303 123 9999, or you can email helpline@rnib.org.uk
2002 - Members
We launched our Membership Scheme in August 2002.
2007 - National Library Service
On 1 January 2007 RNIB merged with the National Library Service.
2007 - third name change
When we became a Membership organisation, our name changed to the Royal National Institute of Blind People rather than 'for' blind people.
Our key services
Braille
Promotion of braille became an immediate priority for the Society. It began publishing literature in braille, selling braille writing frames and teaching individuals how to read and write in braille.
More than a century later the technology which makes braille production possible has become increasingly sophisticated enabling greater amounts of material to be transcribed. Today RNIB is Europe's largest braille publisher producing a wide variety of literature from our Production Centre in Peterborough.
Publications include books, leaflets, magazines, exam papers, knitting patterns and even bills and bank statements. Since its first issue in 1927, over six million copies of the Braille Radio and the Braille Radio and Television Listings have been produced. This equates to 346 million pages of braille!
Braille music is also in demand from blind singers and musicians. RNIB is the largest professional producer of braille music in the United Kingdom with over 14,000 titles in its holdings.
Children, schools and family support
While the adoption of braille was an important landmark in allowing access to information, Dr Armitage realised it was worth very little without education. The Society therefore began providing educational facilities for children and young adults.
The first schools to be opened were the Sunshine House Schools from 1918 onwards. They were founded as homes for young blind children and the first one, at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire, had an intake of 25 blind infants.
Since then it has been recognised that the needs of blind and partially sighted children are more complex. With the appropriate resources, many children with sight problems can be successfully taught in mainstream schools, with input from specialist visual impairment teachers and support staff.
We provide extensive support to the education sector, through advice and information, training and professional networks. More information can be found in our Education Professionals section.
However, more than half of all blind and partially sighted children have additional disabilities, which makes mainstream education more difficult.
RNIB Pears centre is currently under major redevelopment due for completion in 2012. Our new facilities will enable us to provide individually-tailored support to more young people, maximising their potential for learning, independence and fulfilment.
RNIB Schools and Colleges - further information
In addition to education and schooling, we also provide support to families of children with visual impairment, including a programme of activities and regional events, through our associate charity, Action for Blind People. Information can be found on our Parents' Place web pages.
Training and employment
Finding opportunities for blind and partially sighted people in open industry has been a key objective of RNIB since its earliest days.
One of the first professions for blind people in open employment was massage. In 1915 the National Institution for Massage by the Blind became part of RNIB. Over the years we have trained blind and partially sighted people from all over the world to degree standard. Today RNIB's Physiotherapy Support Service is located at the University of East London.
During the Second World War demand for switchboard operators, typists and secretaries led to RNIB opening a commercial college. As employment patterns changed we began to train computer programmers. In 1989 the renamed Vocational College moved to Loughborough. In 2005 it changed its name to RNIB College Loughborough. It is the only specialist college offering residential and day courses in partnership with a mainstream college on the same campus.
In 1956 Hethersett College was opened to provide training in clerical and manual skills. Renamed Redhill College after a move in 1992, it has over the years been particularly successful in developing employment and personal skills for school-leavers and adults.
Since 1927 we have worked with companies to open up employment prospects for people with sight problems and have supported those who wish to work from home or start their own business. Today RNIB's Employment Officers provide information and consultancy to employers and advice and guidance to blind and partially sighted people looking for work.
Improved support and equipment means blind and partially sighted people can work on equal terms with others across an increasingly wide range of professions and trades.
Employment - further information
Rehabilitation
In 1940, Captain Sir Beachcroft Towse, Chairman of the Institute, and himself blind since action in the Boer War, opened his own home as the first rehabilitation centre. Here, newly blind people learnt to adapt to their disability, learnt new ways of doing everyday things.
RNIB Scotland has an Employment and Learning Centre based on the campus of Jewel and Esk Valley College in Edinburgh. The Centre offers rehabilitation courses for people who have lost their sight as adults, or whose sight has deteriorated and wish to stay in their present jobs or find new employment.
Rehabilitation workers are trained at the RNIB School of Rehabilitation Studies, part of Birmingham City University. The School is jointly administered by RNIB and the University. Its graduates are usually employed by local authority social services departments.
RNIB have always provided support for professionals who work with blind and partially sighted people of all ages. Today we work with and train members of the National Health Service, Social Services and other Government agencies to help improve the services they provide for people with sight problems.
Rehabilitation - further information
Equipment
From its earliest days RNIB has sold braille writing frames. Today we sell over 1,000 different items, from daily living, clocks and watches, out and about, keeping in touch, games, toys and leisure to technology products.
Where possible, equipment and games are designed to be shared by blind and sighted people. Adapted equipment helps blind people to participate in the same sports that sighted people can enjoy.
Products and equipment - further information
RNIB National Library Service
Perhaps our most famous service is RNIB Talking Books, now part of the RNIB National Library Service. The Talking Book Service began in 1935 and has grown from 500 members in the 1930s to about 41,200 members today.
Originally, a talking book consisted of a special designed gramophone record that held 25 minutes of recorded material per side. After that books were recorded, unabridged, onto special long-playing cassettes that could hold up to 12 ours of reading. Now books are produced digitally using audio CDs, which hold up to 21 hours. The player has control buttons that offer easy navigation through the book using DAISY technology.
In January 2007, RNIB merged with the National Library for the Blind to form the new National Library Service. Today, in addition to 14,500 Talking Books, blind and partially sighted readers can borrow fiction and non-fiction titles in braille, Moon, giant print (24 point type) and large print (16 point type). Readers also benefit from free access to online reference material. The Library's aim is to enable blind and partially sighted children and adults to have the same access to books and information as sighted people.
Audio description
Audio description is a verbal commentary describing scenery, costumes, body language, facial expressions and action during silent interludes in video, film, television and theatre. It enables people with sight problems to follow what is happening and to enjoy such entertainment to the full.
In 1992 RNIB and CIC Video launched the first audio-described video movie in the UK. "Hear My Song". We now have over 130 titles available to rent or buy.
RNIB Helpline
RNIB Helpline was launched in 1997 and currently deals with around 50,000 enquiries a year. The helpline offers information, support and advice to anyone with a sight problem, their families and their friends. Contact the RNIB Helpline team via email to helpline@rnib.org.uk or telephone 0303 123 9999.
RNIB Research Library
RNIB Research Library has the largest collection of materials in the country on the subject of sight loss. It offers a range of reference, loan and enquiry services, including sophisticated reading aids for blind and partially sighted users. It is part of RNIB National Library Service.
RNIB Talk and Support
RNIB Talk and Support has grown over recent years and celebrated it's 1000th participant in 2007/08. It offers a range of telephone groups for people with sight loss and includes our award winning Tele Befriending (weekly social groups) and Telephone Book Clubs. The telephone groups give people with sight loss an opportunity to socialise, make new friends, learn, share tips and support each other, without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Website
In 1995 RNIB launched its website. Today it is the largest source of UK-based information on blindness and partial sight on the internet. The website is designed to be fully accessible to sighted, partially sighted and blind visitors.
In 2000, RNIB's See it Right Web Accessibility Consultancy Service was launched. This service offers information and advice about how to make an accessible website so that it works with speech and magnification software. Today the team audits around 150 websites a year.
Membership
In 2002 the launch of RNIB Membership and name change from Royal National Institute for the Blind to Royal National Institute of the Blind emphasised our role as a campaigning organisation and a voice for people with sight loss. We want membership to enable a greater proportion of blind and partially sighted people to get involved and have a say on how we deliver our services and what we do. We also want RNIB to have a stronger voice when negotiating on behalf of people with sight loss with the Government and other organisations.
Campaigning
RNIB has been at the forefront of campaigning for the rights of blind and partially sighted people and has achieved some groundbreaking successes.
We campaigned for free postage for braille and audio materials, which led to the Articles for the Blind scheme. We later secured the agreement of the Post Office to include large print and for the scheme to reach across Europe.
We continue to campaign for welfare rights for blind people. As a result of our work blind people qualify for Incapacity Benefit and are entitled to apply for the middle care component of Disability Living Allowance. We campaigned for the Blind Person's Tax allowance to be raised annually, secured free eye tests for pensioners and stopped proposed cuts in the Access to Work scheme.
We campaigned tirelessly on the Disability Discrimination Act and persuaded Parliament to strengthen it in key areas, which has helped lead to the Equality Act. We also influenced the Disability Right Commission Bill as part of the Disability Charities Consortium.
Other areas where RNIB has campaigned successfully are audio description, accessible information for NHS patients, getting guide dogs allowed in taxis, and raising the concession for a television licence for blind people from £1.25 to 50 per cent of the fee.
RNIB campaigns - latest news
Prevention of blindness
In 1962 we started the National Eye Donor Scheme to encourage people to donate their eyes after death for corneal grafting and other therapeutic purposes. Today it is a major distributor of the multi-organ donor card, issued by the Department of Health. Today we fund research projects into the prevention of blindness.
Governance and RNIB today
Royal charter
In 1875 Her Majesty Queen Victoria became our first patron and over the years the organisation has continued to enjoy Royal patronage. We eventually received a Royal Charter in 1949 and subsequently changed our name to the Royal National Institute for the Blind in 1953.
Today our Patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother was also our Patron until her death in 2002. Our current President is Dame Gail Ronson DBE.
Board of Trustees and Chief Executive
RNIB's supreme decision making authority is the Board of Trustees. RNIB also has a number of committees such as the Executive Committee, the Governance Committee and the Audit Committee.
In January 2004, Lesley-Anne Alexander became the RNIB's new Chief Executive. Lesley-Anne was previously Director of Operations for The Peabody Trust (a large pan-London regeneration agency and housing association), Director of Housing in the London Borough of Enfield, the first woman Chair of the British Judo Association and Chair of the European Union Judo Confederation.
For further information on RNIB's modern governance structure, including the current Board of Trustees, see our page on How we are governed.
Another name change
In June 2007 we changed our name to Royal National Institute of Blind People. We also changed our logo and our strapline to "Supporting blind and partially sighted people".
The future
Each year of our existence has been spent working towards independence for blind and partially sighted people. Although there have been many milestones and triumphs, our work is far from over.
The founding fathers of RNIB would be pleased to see how active the organisation is today. Both staff and volunteers have every reason to be proud of our achievements to date. But with the demands on our services ever increasing, as more people become aware of them, our essential work will almost certainly continue for many years to come.
Further information
For further information about RNIB past and present, please contact the RNIB Research Library on 020 7391 2052 or email researchlibrary@rnib.org.uk