Sight Life, previously known as Cardiff Institute for the Blind (CIB), is

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

's oldest charity, founded in 1865 and offering support to

visually impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

residents of Cardiff and the

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol C ...

History of CIB

Cardiff Institute for the Blind was founded in April 1865 by Frances Batty Shand, the daughter of a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n plantation owner. After moving to Cardiff, Shand set up a small workshop employing five blind men to make baskets for coal ships. After employing ten more men, the workshop was relocated to Byron Street in Roath, later moving to Longcross Road - near the institute's former home on

Newport Road Newport Road is a 4.7 mi (7.5 km) road leading east from the centre of Cardiff, Wales, towards Newport, until it joins the A48 at St Mellons. Description Newport Road follows the route of the A4161 through Roath and the B4487 t ...

. By 1900, around 100 blind men and women were employed making baskets, brushes and mats. The Longcross Street building was destroyed during World War II. A plot of land situated on Newport Road was donated to the charity in 1949 - and made way for Shand House completed and opened in 1953. The Institute celebrated their 140th birthday in 2005 with a march through Queen Street, followed by a party. By this date the CIB was helping 7,500 people with visual impairments, funded by £350,000 raised by the charity. The Institute remained at Shand House until October 2012, when they moved to a temporary accommodation in Bridge Street until their new headquarters in

Womanby Street Womanby Street is one of the oldest streets in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Tracing its name back to origins within the Norse language, its original purpose was to link Cardiff Castle to its quay. In this way it became a trade hub and settling ...

, Cardiff, was completed. They share the new offices with the

Royal National Institute for the Blind The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss. History The RNIB was founded by Thomas Rhodes Armitage, a doctor who had eye ...

(RNIB).

Services

CIB offers support and services for visually impaired people in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Music Club CIB has recently launched a Music Club which is open to all. Computer Club The institute's Computer Club has been running for over 10 years, providing around 30,000 training sessions for visually impaired people.

Campaigning

Working alongside RNIB, CIB is campaigning to gain equality for the visually impaired in receiving Disability Allowance.

References

{{Health in Wales Organisations based in Cardiff Blindness organisations in the United Kingdom Medical and health organisations based in Wales 1865 establishments in Wales Organizations established in 1865