Royal London Society for the Blind

The Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB) was a UK charity that has 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.

On the 1st January 2017, the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) and Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB) joined together to create a charity in England & Wales under the name of the Royal Society for Blind Children.

On 12 January 1838, Thomas Lucas established The London Society for Teaching the Blind to Read in the city of London, where he introduced his Lucas Type, an early form of embossed text.

Funds for the school were raised largely through the efforts of the Ladies' Committee under the secretaryship of Mrs Lydia Johnson. Her husband, Percival Norton Johnson, founder of what is now Johnson Matthey plc, also took a prominent role in the affairs of the Society for many years.

Over the years the school slowly expanded, moving to locations across London, before heading to Aylesbury during World War II and eventually Seal in Kent. A college and nursery were later established to allow RLSB to reach out to more young people.

To help vision impaired people gain employment, RLSB also ran a home workers scheme and workshops through the 1900s to allow people to learn a trade and find work.

RLSB continued evolved and expanded to meet new needs of vision impaired young people. Supporters and donors have included the Royal family, playwright J. B. Priestley and Charlie Chaplin.

The original day school opened in Fitzroy Street, London, on 12 January 1839. In 1840, it moved to a larger premises in 6 Gloucester Place, where resident pupils were accepted. In 1842, the organisation moved to larger premises in Bloomsbury; in 1847, a purpose-built school in Swiss Cottage was completed at a cost of £4,500.

In 1938, the RLSB's 100th anniversary year, the prefix 'Royal' was added to the Society's title by order of HM King George VI; it became the 'Royal London Society for Teaching the Blind to Read'.

At the start of World War II, the children were evacuated from London to a large manor house in Buckinghamshire called 'Dorton House'.

In 1954, the Society purchased 'Wildernesse' in Seal and it became the new permanent home of the School. The name 'Dorton House' was transferred to the new property and the school was officially opened in 1956. The RLSB's purpose-built Dorton House School was opened by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester in 1983. Costing £1.75 million to build, it was designed for the education of 140 pupils.

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Wikipedia