Our History

1864 – 1914

The teaching era 

1864:  In 1864 a branch of the ‘Edinburgh Society for Teaching the Blind to Read in Their Own Homes’ formed in Kirkcaldy. The main focus was on teaching Braille and Moon Type.  

1865 – 1870:  An independent society is formed in 1865: ‘The Fife & Kinross Society for Teaching the Blind to Read in Their Own Homes’, with Provost Swan as President. Our Headquarters and Library were established at Kirk Wynd, Kirkcaldy. 

1890 – 1893:  In 1890, Sir Michael Beveridge is voted in as President. Upon his death, Sir Michael Barker Nairn took over the Presidency, beginning the Society’s 90-year association with the Nairn family. 

1893: Mr Watson becomes new Missioner/Teacher, and introduces the members to woollen manufacture for sale to the public to boost the Society’s finances. 

1906 – 1911:  Appointment of Miss Kate Craig as Teacher in 1906, one of the most influential workers for the Society.  

Establishment of the Kirkcaldy Ladies Auxiliary Committee in 1907 (followed by the Dunfermline Committee in 1911), which would undertake the social aspects of the Society’s work over the coming years. The Society also introduced an industrial section to undertake basket work and net work to generate funds. 

1915 – 1969

The social welfare era 

1915 – 1919:  Death of Sir Michael Barker Nairn, and the Presidency is passed to his son, Sir Michael Nairn. Although we had to discontinue a lot of our work due to the war, Miss Craig coordinated a great deal of work with the Blind Sailors and Soldiers Hostel, and our members knitted goods for the armed services.  

1920 – 1923: The first Superintendent, Mr William Edgar, was appointed, and a new centre opened in Dunfermline. The Blind Persons Act was passed in 1920, placing a duty on the local health board to meet the welfare needs of people who were blind, thereby generating additional funds for the Society. 

 In 1922 we opened a shop at Whytescauseway in Kirkcaldy, and the Society changed its name to ‘Fife & Kinross Society for Teaching the Blind’.

 1927 – 1932:  Premises were bought at Townsend Place in Kirkcaldy by Sir Michael Nairn and held in trust for the Society. In 1928,  arrangements were made with an ophthalmic surgeon to assess cases for the Society, with respect to gaining pensions. Members of the Society were supported to work as musicians, tea agents, rug makers and masseurs. 

1932:  Kinross dropped from the title of the Society, with members transferring to Perth.  ‘Teachers’ were now retitled as ‘Welfare Officers’ as their role moved more away from education to a more social work-based role. 

1936 – 1950: Purchase of the first talking book machines, and a square handwriting frame is invented by Mr Edgar in 1938 to enable blind people to write to sighted friends, without the use of braille.  

1959 – 1960: New showroom opened at Townsend Place in 1959 to display goods for sale. The first Blind Bowlers Club formed in Kirkcaldy at Ravenscraig Park, winning the Caledonia Cup in 1960 – Scotland’s national trophy for blind bowlers. 

1963 – 1988

The independent living era 

1963:  Formation of the first blind drama group in Cupar. The aim was to perform at future drama festivals. 

1968 – 1978: In 1969 the Social Work (Scotland) Act comes into force, encouraging the Society to take a ‘casework’ approach towards supporting its members. 

In 1970, the Society is organised into five new centres, covered by Welfare Officers: Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Cupar, Leven and St Andrews. 

1976 – 1988:  In the late 70s, Dunfermline Sound, Fife’s first Talking Newspaper launched in 1976. Mid-Fife Newstape follows in 1978 to cover the areas not reached by Dunfermline Sound.  

A new Rehabilitation Centre is opened at  Townsend Place in 1985, and the was disposed of after over 120 years of supplying Moon Type and Braille books to its members. Provision would now fall to the Local Authority Libraries. Mr Allan Suttie is appointed as new Superintendent/CEO in 1986. 

1991 -2020

The innovation era 

The 1990s: The nineties see the early days of the Society’s focus on assistive technology to support our clients to live independently. 

In 1999 the Society’s first dual qualified Rehabilitation Worker (Judith Barton) qualifies, specialising in both independent living and mobility.  

2000 – 2006: Recognising the need to support those with both hearing and sight loss, the Fife Sensory Impairment Centre was established at Wilson Avenue in Kirkcaldy (a partnership between Fife Society for the Blind, the RNIB and Sense Scotland). 

In 2006 we become the first agency in the UK to trial Neurological Vision Training (NVT) for patients experiencing sight loss following a stroke. 

2015: The Right Honourable Gordon Brown becomes our Honorary President. Mr Brown’s parents also had connections with the society, with his father serving on the Board of Management and his mother assisting the Kirkcaldy Ladies Committee. 

The Society launches ‘Nairn Optician’ – Scotland’s first ever charity optician service, creating a one-stop-shop in patients’ eye health journey. 

2018 to 2022 and beyond: The Society renames from Fife Society for the Blind to ‘Seescape’, launched by Chairman (Jacqui Low) and CEO (Carl Hodson). 

2020 In 2020, our Optician service begins delivering specialist diabetic and glaucoma clinics on behalf of the NHS, allowing us to further develop our specialist expertise in low vision. 

In 2022 the property in Kirkcaldy is sold, and Seescape moves to a new property in Glenrothes, launched by Chairman (Doug Stalker) and CEO (Lesley Carcary) – the start of the next chapter in our journey! 

Research courtesy of M Boyle.