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RNIB (formally, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and previously the Royal National Institute for the Blind) is a British
charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...
, founded in 1868, that serves people living with visual impairments. It is regarded as a leader in the field in supporting people in the UK who have vision loss. The organisation seeks to increase awareness of blind or partially sighted people’s lived experiences. Additionally, it campaigns to make services such as healthcare, education and public transport safer and more accessible to people with visual impairments. The
Charity Commission for England and Wales The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Government that regulates Charitable organization, registered charities in En ...
investigated the charity from 2018 to 2020, finding multiple failings described by the Commission's chief executive as "one of the worst examples we have uncovered of poor
governance Governance is the overall complex system or framework of Process, processes, functions, structures, Social norm, rules, Law, laws and Norms (sociology), norms born out of the Interpersonal relationship, relationships, Social interaction, intera ...
and oversight having a direct impact on vulnerable people". The RNIB began selling all its eighteen schools, homes and other institutions.


History

RNIB was first established on 16 October 1868 as the British and Foreign Society for Improving the Embossed Literature of the Blind.Thomas, p.113 The first meeting, which was held at 33 Cambridge Square,
Hyde Park, London Hyde Park is a , historic Listed building#Heritage protection, Grade I-listed urban park in Westminster, Greater London. A Royal Parks of London, Royal Park, it is the largest of the parks and green spaces that form a chain from Kensington P ...
, involved founder Thomas Rhodes Armitage (a
physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
who was partially sighted) and Daniel Conolly, W W Fenn and Dr James Gale (all three of whom were blind). Later, the organisation became the British and Foreign Blind Association for Improving the Embossed Literature of the Blind and Promoting the Employment of the Blind – generally shortened to the British and Foreign Blind Association. In 1914, the organisation relocated to larger premises in
Great Portland Street Great Portland Street is a commercial road in the West End of London which links Oxford Street with the A501 road, A501 Marylebone Road. A mixed-use street of residents and businesses, it divides Fitzrovia, to the east, from Marylebone to the ...
. From 2000 until 2023, RNIB operated from premises on Judd Street, in
Bloomsbury, London Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...
, which it shared with Guide Dogs. In 2023, The Duchess of Edinburgh opened the organisation's new headquarters in the Grimaldi Building on Pentonville Road, London, which has been adapted to cater for the needs of people who are blind, partially sighted or neurodivergent. RNIB's remit has always included reading and writing (e.g.
Braille Braille ( , ) is a Tactile alphabet, tactile writing system used by blindness, blind or visually impaired people. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displays that connect to computers and smartphone device ...
), education and employment. From the 20th century, welfare/social support has been important.Rose However, it was not till the late 1980s that eye health became a major focus. Previously, eye health was seen as the sole prerogative of
ophthalmologists Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...
and optometrists. In 1914, the organisation changed its name to The National Institute for the Blind, or NIB, to reflect its status as a national body involved in all aspects of the welfare of blind people. The organisation was officially renamed the Royal National Institute for the Blind in 1953, having been granted a
Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
in 1949. In 2002, the organisation was renamed the Royal National Institute of the Blind ("of" rather than "for" blind people) when it became a
membership organisation A membership organization is any organization that allows people or entities to subscribe, and often requires them to pay a membership free or "subscription". Membership organizations typically have a particular purpose, which involves connecting p ...
. To coincide with the launch of the UK Vision Strategy in 2008, it was renamed the Royal National Institute of Blind People. In October 2008, RNIB and Action for Blind People agreed in principle to combine some services across England. The new arrangement began in April 2009, resulting in Action for Blind People becoming an associate charity of RNIB. It merged with RNIB on 1 April 2017. Anna Tylor, who is partially sighted, has been RNIB's Chair since 2020. Matt Stringer was appointed Chief Executive in 2019.
King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
is the charity's Patron. His mother,
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, was RNIB's Patron throughout her reign (1952–2022).


Programmes and services

RNIB's helpline gives access to sight loss experts for questions and guidance. RNIB's extensive range of reading services includes RNIB Bookshare – a free library of over one million items, which supports students and others in education with a vast collection of accessible textbooks and materials – and Talking Books, a service first established in 1935, which provides thousands of
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
s, both fiction and non-fiction. RNIB’s ECLO (Eye Care Liaison Officers) service aims to help patients understand the impact of a sight loss diagnosis and to direct them to appropriate sources of support. Since the 1950s, the children's puppet character
Sooty Sooty is a British children's television media franchise created by Harry Corbett incorporating primarily television and stage shows. The franchise originated with his fictional glove puppet character introduced to television in '' The Sooty ...
is an exclusive feature on the charity's collection boxes.


Campaigning

RNIB campaigns to change behaviours and perceptions around sight loss. It has been involved with several large-scale campaigns including calls for action to create a safer and more inclusive public transport system. In 2023, the charity played a key role in a national campaign to scrap plans to close ticket offices in train stations. In 2022, the charity launched its largest-ever advertising campaign, ''See the person, not the sight loss'', to raise awareness of sight loss and the support that people who have visual impairments might need. Along with other leading health charities, RNIB lobbied throughout 2023 for better disability support across the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
(NHS). The charity has campaigned for mandatory secret ballots for people with visual impairments. After the 2024 general election RNIB delivered an open letter to
10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. Colloquially known as Number 10, the building is located in Downing Street, off Whitehall in th ...
highlighting that according to its research roughly 87% of the UK's citizens with visual impairments were denied their right to vote in secret. The campaign follows a 2019 court judgement that declared the UK's current voting arrangements for people with blindness or visual impairments to be unlawful. RNIB pointed out that in spite of the judgement, the majority of the UK's visually impaired voters do so using technology that requires them to be accompanied into the voting booth and have their choices read aloud by an assistant. only one person living with blindness in the UK has voted in secret, using a device known as the McGonagle Reader. This comprises an audio player with headphones and a plastic template to locate the boxes on the paper.


Schools, homes and other institutions

RNIB used to run a number of schools, homes, and other institutions. In 2018, an
Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...
report was highly critical of the RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning, near
Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, which comprised a school and a children's home, founded in 1957 as Rushton Hall School. Ofsted described it as inadequate in three categories and requiring improvement in the other two. It highlighted failures in safeguarding the vulnerable children and in training staff to support them. Later that year, RNIB announced that it had been unable to make sufficient improvements and was closing the Centre; RNIB's chief executive resigned. Also in 2018, the
Charity Commission for England and Wales The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Government that regulates Charitable organization, registered charities in En ...
launched its own inquiry into RNIB following serious allegations of systemic failings within the organisation. In 2020, the Commission ruled that there had been significant management, oversight, and staffing shortcomings which had led to repeated incidents where young people in the charity's care were put at risk or harmed. The Charity Commission's chief executive described this investigation as "one of the worst examples we have uncovered of poor governance and oversight having a direct impact on vulnerable people." The Commission stated that RNIB's corporate stewardship of services for children with complex needs fell far short of expectations and that the charity's board had been focused on narrow regulatory compliance and dismissive of criticism from the regulatory organisations it was accountable to – the
Care Quality Commission The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care providers in England. It ...
and Ofsted. It found failures in training, safeguarding, record-keeping, reporting, responding to complaints, and the administration of medication, as well as instances of harm. It was then reported that RNIB was selling all eighteen of its care homes and schools. The Charity Commission gave RNIB an official warning and required it to overhaul its governance, management and culture. In light of RNIB's progress in fulfilling the action plan, the Charity Commission withdrew its adverse decision in June 2022.


See also


Notes


References


Sources

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External links

*
Charity Commission for England and Wales page on The Royal National Institute of Blind People

RNIB Connect Radio
– the radio station of RNIB
RNIB Sightline Directory of services and organisations that help blind and partially sighted people in the UK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal National Institute Of Blind People 1868 establishments in the United Kingdom Blindness charities Blindness organisations in the United Kingdom Charities based in London Charities for disabled people based in the United Kingdom Great Portland Street Health and disability rights organisations in the United Kingdom Health in the London Borough of Camden Libraries for the blind Organisations based in the London Borough of Camden Pentonville Road Royal National Institute of Blind People