RNIB NI awarded Heritage Lottery Fund Grant
The social history of blindness in Northern Ireland is to be recorded for the first time thanks to a £25,400 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant.
'A Sense of the Past' will explore themes such as the history of education, employment and legislation, from institutions such as the Ulster Society, which established the first deaf and blind school in Belfast in 1836, to the introduction of legislation which paved the way for inclusion in social and leisure activities.
It will also examine the development of statutory and voluntary sector services to support blind and partially sighted people, including RNIB NI, the Blind Centre for NI and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The project will be steered by blind and partially sighted people to ensure their heritage is recorded accurately.
The personal memories and experiences of local people will be recorded and used to produce a Talking Book, which will be distributed to blind and partially sighted people throughout Northern Ireland and the UK, and a printed publication for those working in the field of sight loss and for the general public.
A travelling exhibition will also be developed and displayed at selected libraries and museums across Northern Ireland, to raise awareness of this heritage.
RNIB NI is advertising for an experienced researcher to work on the project
For further details, and to request a tender pack for the research work, please contact Sylvia Morrison at RNIB NI
Tel: 028 9033 4105
Email: sylvia.morrison@rnib.org.uk