Royal Blind is a Scottish Charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The charity provides care, education and employment for people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted. Royal Blind provides the following services: Royal Blind School, Forward Vision, Braeside House, Jenny's Well, Scottish Braille Press and Kidscene. Royal Blind’s sister charity is Scottish War Blinded.
History
In 1793, Dr. David Johnston, Dr. Thomas Blacklock, and Mr. David Miller founded Royal Blind. Both Blacklock and Miller were blind. The organisation was founded under the name Edinburgh Asylum for the Relief of the Indigent and Industrious Blind.
Organisation
Royal Blind is a national charity providing services to people from across Scotland and the rest of the UK. The charity’s headquarters are in Edinburgh, Scotland. Current services are provided in and around Edinburgh and Paisley.
Governance
Management of the charity is the responsibility of the Board of Directors, made up of representatives of public bodies and elected nominees.
The Royal Blind School is a specialist day and boarding school located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 who are blind or partially sighted. It has facilities for boys and girls of nursery, primary and secondary age. Students attending the school come primarily from Scotland, but also from other parts of the United Kingdom. Famous alumni from the school include Libby Clegg, London 2012 Paralympic silver medalist, who is a brand ambassador for Royal Blind.
Forward Vision
Forward Vision is a service for young adults aged 18–25 with visual impairment and disability based in Morningside, Edinburgh.
Care for older people
Braeside House is a purpose-built residential care home for older people who are registered blind or partially sighted. It was opened in 1999 and is located in Liberton, Edinburgh. The success of Braeside, led to Royal Blind opening a second care home, Jenny's Well in Paisley. This home was opened in 2017 with the aim to provide the West of Scotland with a care home specifically catering for the visually impaired.
Kidscene
Kidscene is an after school and holiday care facility based in the Royal Blind School in Morningside, Edinburgh. Kidscene is for children with all abilities, using a reverse integration model to provide care for children with and without disabilities.
Scottish Braille Press
Founded in 1891, Scottish Braille Press produces alternative information formats for visually impaired peoplelarge print, Braille, and audio. It is also the host of National Braille Week.
Royal Blind's sister charity, Scottish War Blinded
Scottish War Blinded supports former members of the armed forces who have a visual impairment. Any partially sighted person who has served in the armed forces is eligible for membership. This free service provides two key services to its members: The day centres of Linburn in Wilkieston and Hawkhead in Paisley and an Outreach Service covering Scotland.
