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The Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind (BRIB) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which has provided education, technology, guidance and support for Birmingham's visually impaired community for over 150 years. [1]
In 1846, founders Elizabeth Bache Harrold and Mary Badger rented a small home in Carpenter Road, Edgbaston [2] which they subsequently opened as a school for the blind, initially with six students. Over the years, the organization grew in size, placing graduates in various roles and positions previously not accessible to the blind. In 1848, the little school was officially named the "Birmingham Institution for the Blind". In 1909, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited the institution, and conferred their royal patronage. At this time, the institution became formally known as "The Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind". [3]
In 1953, pupils were moved to Lickey Grange. The BRIB kept the house at Lickey Grange much the same, but developed the grounds to accommodate the needs of a residential school. Individual houses were built for teachers, and hostel blocks were built for the pupils. In addition, an assembly hall, indoor swimming pool and classrooms were built. [4]
The school catered for a mixture of residential and day pupils. Until the 1980s, there were more residential pupils than day pupils; however changes in the methods of education, particularly integration, led to a large decline in the numbers of children attending the school. The Lickey Grange school eventually closed in 1990. [5]
Meanwhile, in 1985, the Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind was incorporated under the laws of Great Britain and assumed all financial and operational activities of the previously unincorporated charity. [6] In 1997, BRIB became ‘parent’ to three independent charities:
All three charitable companies continue to receive support from BRIB. [10]
RNIB is a British charity, 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 the lived experiences of people who are blind or partially sighted. Additionally, it campaigns to make services such as healthcare, education and public transport safer and more accessible to people with visual impairments.
Action for Blind People was a national sight loss charity in the United Kingdom, that provided help and support to blind and partially sighted people of all ages. In 2017 the organisation merged with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) with which it had been in a partnership since 2009.
Lickey Grange is a Victorian house and estate in the village of Lickey, Bromsgrove District, Worcestershire, near Birmingham, England. Car manufacturer Herbert Austin lived there for 31 years. It later became a residential school and is now private housing.
The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) is a co-educational specialist residential college of further education based in the English city of Hereford. Students who attend the college are aged 16 to 25 and blind or partially sighted. They can study a wide range of qualifications at RNC, from academic subjects such as English and Mathematics to more vocational topics such as Massage and Complementary Therapies. Alongside regular further education subjects and vocational training, the college offers training in mobility, assistive technology, Braille, independent living skills and personal development.
The Rosminians, officially named the Institute of Charity, abbreviated I.C., are a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men founded by Antonio Rosmini and first organised in 1828.
Queen Alexandra College (QAC) is an independent specialist college of further education based in Harborne, Birmingham for students above the age of sixteen with visual impairment, autism and other disabilities. Students can develop their academic, social, employment and independent skills through individualised programmes. QAC also offers many leisure activities. Its registered charity number 1065794.
The Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired (NCECBVI) is located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States. It was founded in 1875 and serves children from infancy to adults age 21. NCECBVI's program offers the expertise and specialized skills of the center's staff to blind, visually impaired, and other disabled students in residential, day, and outreach settings. Services are provided to local school districts, students, families, teachers, and other support staff, upon request. It was previously the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped (NSVH).
New College Worcester is an independent boarding and day school for students, aged 11–19, who are blind or partially sighted. It caters for around 80 students. It is located in the city of Worcester, England. A 2012 Ofsted inspection classed the school with a Grade 2 (Good). The school has also been featured in the Good Schools Guide.
Exhall Grange School is a special school located in Ash Green just outside Coventry in Warwickshire, England. The school meets the needs of children and young people age from 2 to 19 years with physical disability, visual impairment, complex medical needs, and social, communication and interaction difficulties.
CanDo4Kids is South Australia's oldest charity and works directly with children and young adults with sensory impairment disabilities, such as blindness and deafness, by focusing on what children "can do" and helping them to reach their full potential. Formerly known as Townsend House, the charity was founded in 1874 by William Townsend MP.
The Royal Blind School is a specialist day and boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland that was established in 1793 and run by the charity, Royal Blind. The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 who are blind or partially sighted, and has facilities for children of nursery, primary and secondary age. Students attending the school come primarily from Scotland, but also from other parts of the United Kingdom.
The Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB) was a UK charity that existed for 175 years to help blind and partially sighted young people in London and the South East through a blend of sports, education, and creative and developmental services.
The Cleveland Sight Center (CSC) is a non-profit organization that provides services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. CSC’s mission is to provide individualized support and tools to navigate the visual world. Founded in 1906, it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and serves thousands of individuals annually in Northeast Ohio.
Linden Lodge School for the Blind is a specialist sensory and physical college located in Wimbledon, South London, England. It educates visually impaired children aged between two and nineteen, including those who are multi-disabled visually impaired.
Henshaws Society for Blind People is a specialist charity providing support, advice and training to anyone affected by sight loss and other disabilities.
RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning, formerly Rushton Hall School, was a school and children’s home for young people who were blind or partially sighted and who also had multiple disabilities or complex needs such as severe or profound learning disabilities, physical disabilities, additional sensory impairment, healthcare needs and autistic spectrum disorders. The school, based just outside Coventry, was run by RNIB.
Queens Park was laid out in 1898, after which Turks Lane was renamed Queens Park Road. The 10-acre plot was bought by the Harborne Charity Fete Committee and presented to the city council.
Bradbury Fields is a charity based in Liverpool, UK, which works with blind and partially sighted people. It has been described by the BBC as "Liverpool's main charity for the blind" and is part of the 800 Group, a consortium of Merseyside health and care charities.
The Royal School for the Blind in Liverpool, England, is the oldest specialist school of its kind in the UK, having been founded in 1791. Only the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles in Paris is older, but the Royal School for the Blind is the oldest school in the world in continuous operation, and the first in the world founded by a blind person, Edward Rushton, who was also an anti-slavery campaigner. It was also the first school in the world to offer education and training to blind adults as well as children.
Sight Scotland is a Scottish Charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland founded in 1793. The charity provides care, education and employment for people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted. Sight Scotland provides the following services: Royal Blind School, Forward Vision, Scottish Braille Press and Kidscene. Sight Scotland’s sister charity is Sight Scotland Veterans.
