Blind workers against charity : the National League of the Blind of Great Britain and Ireland, 1893-1970
The National League of the Blind was the first radical self-representation group of visually impaired people which had branches in every part of the United Kingdom. Founded in 1893, it registered as a trade union in 1899 and still exists today as part of the trade union 'Community - the Union for Life'. From the very beginning the League campaigned vehemently for the state to assume sole responsibility for providing training, employment and assistance for all visually impaired individuals. It fought for the abolition of all charitable aid for blind people, better wages and working conditions in workshops, as well as other issues such as travel or tax concessions. This book is the first critical study on this unique social movement organisation. It explores the League's multifaceted character, its campaign for 'direct state aid', its relationship with the trade union movement and the Labour Party, and how it helped to shape the emerging welfare state in Great Britain. Book jacket
Print Book, English, 2015
Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, Basingstoke Hampshire, 2015