About Us

External links - Charities, organisations and societies

Summary: UK and overseas charities, organisations and societies for blind and partially sighted people.

Agencies for blind and partially sighted people

Charities for blind and partially sighted people – UK and international

  • Action for Blind People - information on living with blindness and details of ABP's information service
  • Albinism Fellowship - advice and support for people with an interest in albinism
  • Association of Blind Piano Tuners - serving the needs of its members and other blind and partially sighted piano tuners throughout the world
  • Blindcare - equal partnership of nine different UK based charities raising funds through payroll giving
  • Braille Chess Association - aims to enable people who have sight loss to enjoy the game of chess
  • British Computer Association of the Blind - promoting the needs and interests of people with sight problems who either work in the computing field or have an active interest in computing
  • British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society -self help group helping its members live with and overcome their visual problems and to bring relief by stimulating research into the causes and eventually the treatment of RP
  • British Wireless for the Blind Fund -since 1929 over half a million radios have been supplied to blind listeners
  • Calibre - free cassette library for blind and print disabled people
  • Cats Eyes - providing support and information for families affected by childhood cataracts
  • COTIS - self-help group of tape recording services and cassette libraries
  • Cue and Review - Scottish voices, UK news, information and entertainment
  • Deafblindness web resource
  • E-access Bulletin - free, independent monthly email newsletter on information technology issues for people with sight problems
  • Employment Opportunities - is a national charity dedicated to helping people with all disabilities and health conditions into work
  • English Blind Golf Association - registered charity which provides visually impaired people with the facility to train and compete in the game of golf
  • Equality and Diversity Forum - network of national organisations (including RNIB) committed to progress on age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and broader equality and human rights issues
  • Eye Cancer Network - information about the diagnosis and treatment of ocular tumours, eye cancer and orbital diseases for patients, their families and the health professionals who care for them
  • Eyeless Trust - offers professional support for families in Great Britain who have a child with anophthalmia, microphthalmia or coloboma under the age of 22
  • Guide Dogs for the Blind Association - breeding and training guide dogs, training blind and partially sighted people to use guide dogs
  • International Glaucoma Association - offers patients and health care professionals interested in preventing blindness from glaucoma a forum for the exchange of ideas and the opportunity to campaign for greater Government recognition of the problem
  • Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People (JCMBPS) - considers how best to improve the built environment to enable blind and deafblind people to move around independently, safely and without restriction as pedestrians outdoors and as users of public buildings, and all modes of transport
  • Living Paintings Trust - provides specialist touch and sound packs to explain a wide range of pictures to blind and partially sighted people of all ages. The service is completely free of charge to people with sight problems in the UK and Eire
  • Macs (Micro & Anophthalmic Childrens Society) - offering professional support service for families with children born with one or more of the microphthalmia range of eye anomalies
  • Manchester Inclusion Service for Visual Impairment - a service run and funded by Manchester Local Education Authority, which offers support to visually impaired/deafblind children, their parents, teachers and other professionals
  • Marfan Association UK - information and support about Marfan syndrome
  • National Blind Childrens Society - information and support for parents of blind and partially sighted children and young people
  • National Centre for Tactile Diagrams - provides tactile materials for students in further and higher education for study, work or leisure purposes
  • Nystagmus Network - self help group for all those affected by the eye condition nystagmus
  • Opsis - association of seven major independent national charities working together to provide services for people who are blind or partially sighted
  • ORBIS - working globally to increase eye care capacity through skills and training provision
  • Royal London Society for the Blind - providing a wide range of education, training and employment for blind and partially sighted people of all ages
  • Royal National College for the Blind - for people who are blind or partially sighted, located on a large residential campus where students prepare for a wide range of nationally recognised academic and vocational qualifications
  • Sense - national deafblind and rubella association
  • Specs - not-for-profit organisation providing support to a wide range of organisations dedicated to helping people with eye conditions
  • Swansea University Recording Centre for the Blind - providing blind and partially sighted students and staff at Swansea with their course material in their preferred media as quickly and fairly as possible
  • National Taking Newspapers and Magazines - records all the national newspapers of the UK plus over 200 journal and magazine titles on tape, CD, DAISY and email. This media is available to blind, partially-sighted and print-disabled people everywhere. There is a small subscription charge but catalogues for Marks and Spencer, Argos and Waitrose are free.
  • Techno-Vision Systems Ltd - supplying equipment and systems for blind and partially sighted people in Britain and abroad
  • Torch Trust for the Blind - publishes Christian material in braille, large print, tape and Moon formats in many languages
  • UK Audio Network - streamed audio, offering links to other audio content freely available on the web
  • Vision Support - leading charity in Cheshire and North Wales providing a wide range of services for people who are blind or partially sighted
  • Visound - national registered charity which provides public service information in audio to anyone who requests it
  • Wales Council for the Blind - umbrella organisation in Wales

Disabilities charities - UK

  • AbilityNet - making mainstream computer technology accessible to people with disabilities
  • Ability Online - disability information, news and views
  • Action for Leisure - small national charity working to promote play, leisure and recreation with and for disabled adults and children
  • Artsline - providing information and advice to disabled people worldwide about access to the arts, entertainment and tourist attractions in London
  • BBC Radio 4 Disability Zone - features and factsheets
  • Carers UK - providing information to carers and raises awareness of their needs
  • British Diabetic Association -caring for people living with diabetes
  • Disability Living Centres Council - free and impartial information and advice about products which can increase disabled or older people’s choices about how they live
  • Disabled Living Foundation - working for freedom, empowerment and choice for disabled people and others who use equipment or technology to enhance their independence
  • DisabilityNet - services for all disabled people and people with an interest in disability issues
  • Disabled Go - free detailed access information for disabled people across the UK.
  • Disability Information Services - voluntary organisation and forms one of the centres of the Queen Elizabeth Foundation, its aims are to make high quality, impartial and independent information available to enquirers across the UK
  • Disability World - directory of information and websites for disabled people
  • Disabled Parents Network - national organisation of and for disabled people who are parents or who hope to become parents, and their families, friends and supporters
  • Disabled Workers Co-operative
  • Employment Opportunities - national charity helping people with disabilities find and retain work. They also provide a wide range of support and advice to employers on disability and employment issues
  • Epilepsy Action - the largest member-led epilepsy organisation in Britain
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission - government agency incorporating what was the Disability Rights Commission
  • Films involving disabilities - list of feature films that portray or include disability
  • Friendly Family Fun - enables special needs families to share their experiences and information via our newsletter and eGroup forum. Also offers information on a variety of family friendly fun and helpful topics
  • Greater London Action on Disability (GLAD) - pan-London organisation that campaigns for the rights of disabled Londoners and provides advice, information and training
  • Hemihelp - for children with hemiplegia
  • Information Society disAbilities Challenge - welcomes all visitors interested in promoting a fully accessible information society for people with disabilities
  • JMU Access Partnership - bringing about improvements in the built environment to enable blind, deafblind and partially sighted people to move around safe, independently and without undue restriction
  • Jooly's Joint – for people living with multiple sclerosis, or MS symptoms, awaiting diagnosis
  • Leonard Cheshire - leading provider of support for disabled people in the UK
  • Mariners of Bewl - providing integrated sailing opportunities for all
  • Multiple Sclerosis Central - support board for MS patients, family members, friends and those interested in learning about MS
  • Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland -information and support for people living with MS
  • National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) - providing teachers, parents and SENCOs with access to books, support materials and newsletters
  • PCAS - enabling disabled people to maintain their personal independence by means of using volunteer Peer Counsellors/Advocates, who support and provide information
  • People First - organisation of people with learning difficulties
  • Ricability - independent research organisation that provides information for people with disabilities and older people
  • Royal National Institute for Deaf People - RNID’s vision is of a world where deafness and hearing loss are not barriers to opportunity and fulfilment
  • SCOPE - information regarding cerebral palsy
  • Scottish Sensory Centre - promoting and supporting new developments and effective practices in the education of children and young people with sensory impairments
  • Shopmobility - scheme that lends manual and powered wheelchairs and powered scooters to member of the public who have limited mobility
  • St Loye's College - specialists in helping those with disabilities in training, job opportunities and education
  • Self Direction - research project looking into the accessible provision of disability awareness training
  • Sensory Disabilities Research Unit - research on the design and evaluation of new technologies and technical aids for disabled and elderly people
  • Shaw Trust - enables people with disabilities and mental health problems to maximise their potential in work opportunities. Since 1981 it has helped over 10,000 people into work
  • SPIREnet - multimedia information system which contains advice applicable to the integration of students with disabilities into Higher education in the UK
  • TechDis - service aimed at enhancing access for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Includes a database of technical aids for disabled people
  • Tell us your story - discussion forum for disabled people
  • Vocal - Voice of Carers Across Lothian

Professional associations - UK

Directories

  • Charity Choice - encyclopaedia of charities on the internet
  • Publicsecta.com - local and national government departments and agencies
  • Directgov – information for disabled people and carers

Blind and partially sighted organisations - overseas

Disabilities charities - overseas

European Blind Union websites:

Content author: webeditor@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 10/07/2008 11:53

Print

More info

Quiz

If you see a blind person in the street you should:





Your stories

Jill's story - Jill lost her sight 12 years ago at the age of 19. “The experience left me feeling isolated. I often felt like my life was pointless." Now, as a presenter on Insight Radio, she uses her experiences to help others. “My prayer is that what we do helps those who are going through sight loss. Even the tiniest piece of information can make a huge difference. If my show can help do that, then my journey has not been in vain.” Jill's full story