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Blindness for many people is the one thing that they dread
most.
There are children who will never see their parents or
grandparents; there are many in their golden years for whom
just taking a few steps outside can become a formidable
nightmare; there are those who lose their jobs because they
are considered to be a liability; and there are those where
feelings of frustration and lack of independence can cause a
debilitating loss of confidence and depression.
But it need not be like that, for we can help visually
impaired people to rebuild their lives and regain their
independence. There are blind craftsmen and women,
professional musicians, teachers, computer programmers and
managers. Nor does having a visual impairment stop many from
playing sports such as bowls or golf. But for most people
just carrying on with their daily lives, such as simply
making a cup of tea or going to the local shops, is a major
challenge, which we can and do help them to overcome.
The Greater London Fund for the Blind, which was established
in 1921, raises the funds for its nine Member Charities and
other blind welfare charities to enable them to provide a
wide range of services to help blind and partially sighted
people to overcome the challenges they face every day.
These services include: -
Educational and holistic support for blind children to give
them the best possible start in life.
Counselling to help blind people to feel more positive and
to realise that life is worth living.
Support services at the point of diagnosis within hospital
ophthalmic clinics.
Rehabilitation and mobility training to restore confidence
and increase independence.
Factory employment and training in new skills to restore
self-esteem and financial independence.
Friendship and help with small tasks through home visits to
people, who often live alone.
The recording and distribution of talking newspapers.
Blind clubs where hobby skills are developed, problems
shared and confidence restored.
Help with obtaining statutory services and benefits.
Dedicated telephone help-lines offering immediate support,
counselling and advice.
Residential care for those visually impaired people who have
additional disabilities, including young people with
degenerative diseases.
History
The Greater London Fund for the Blind was established in 1921 to raise funds for the blind and visually impaired within London. Since then the GLFB has been going from strength to strength raising money for its member charities who provide a wide range of services such as rehabilitation and mobility training, employment, home visits and residential care. Please refer to the member charities' pages for a more detailed explanation.
To give you a quick overview of the history of the GLFB, please follow the simple timeline below:
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