In August 1914, Arthur Pearson, a former newspaper magnate, learned of a Belgian soldier who was languishing in a London hospital. The man had been blinded by a rifle bullet during the siege of Liege, and Pearson felt sympathy for the man, having himself been blinded by glaucoma. He resolved to work to prevent blinded Allied servicemen from returning home, only to slip into 'hopeless and useless lives'. He therefore opened St Dunstan's in 1915, a hostel where returning soldiers could 'learn to be blind', where they were taught Braille and a trade, equipping them to re-enter the world as useful and self-respecting citizens. When Pearson died in 1921, no less than 1,800 St Dunstaners attended his funeral. Father of the Blind is the biography of an extraordinary man who refused to consider blindness an affliction, but rather a handicap which could be overcome. His charitable work has continued long after his passing.
- ISBN10 0752451820
- ISBN13 9780752451824
- Publish Date 1 June 2009
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 28 May 2024
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint The History Press Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 160
- Language English
- URL http://thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Father-of-the-Blind.aspx