Thomas Armitage

Thomas Rhodes Armitage (* 1824 in Filgate Hall in Sussex, † November 23, 1890 in London) is the founder of the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

Life

Thomas Rhodes Armitage studied with 16 years in London medicine. After studying medicine and many years as a physician Armitage's eyesight was so weakened that he in 1860 withdrew from his profession. In 1865 he was hired as a missionary by the Committee of the Indigent Blind Visiting Society and reorganized this company. As a result, he had great influence on the introduction of Braille in the UK. Together with some other wealthy blind man he called 1868 the British and Foreign Blind Association into life, whose aim was to establish a uniform Braille for Europe and the whole world. The biggest advantages offered thereby Braille. A great success Armitage was the founding of a school for the blind. This facility offered by blind the opportunity to exercise their skills to gain independence and to create the basis for their own income. In Armitage's initiative, the first pamphlet in Braille was printed, which later developed the dummy newspaper "Progress". The co-founder of Armitage Blind Association was created using the time - start and a coordination office for inventions for the blind from around the world. Armitage devoted not only a lot of energy but also almost his entire fortune to improve the Blindenwesens. He died on 23 November 1890 in London.