SeeAbility

What SeeAbility does

SeeAbility, the operating name of The Royal School for the Blind, is a UK-registered charity (Number 255913) founded in 1799 that supports people with learning disabilities, autism, and sight loss. The organisation is headquartered in Leatherhead (Wesley House, Bull Hill) and operates across more than a dozen English regions including London, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, the South West, Bristol, Devon, Somerset, and the North West. Its workforce of 501-1,000 staff and broader associate network delivers services under three interconnected streams: specialist accommodation and supported living (Homes and Support), dedicated eye care (the NHS Special School Eye Care Service, the LOCSU Easy Eye Care community optometry pathway, and at-home vision rehabilitation), and the Ready, Willing and Able supported employment programme.

The technical estate is built around a specialist social-care delivery platform layered with eye-care services for people with complex needs. Its most differentiated technical asset is the Bradford Visual Function Box, a proprietary, clinically validated (British Journal of Ophthalmology) functional vision assessment tool co-developed with Professor Rachel Pilling and Caroline Rawse, which tests vision in people who cannot engage with standard eye charts. SeeAbility also operates an optometrist database, easy-read resources, and an observation-based Functional Vision Assessment (FVA) for carers and supporters. Service delivery is channelled through community optometry partnerships (LOCSU Easy Eye Care pathway currently live in South East London, North West England, and Durham), NHS-commissioned special school clinics, and employer partnerships for the Ready, Willing and Able employment programme (including Lush and Pret a Manger). The Listen Up! self-advocacy team and the Eye Care Champions peer-educator network embed people with lived experience of disability across governance, campaigning, and service design.

The business model is a multi-stream charity revenue mix. Commissioned income comes from local authority and integrated care system contracts for specialist accommodation (social care commissioning) and from NHS commissioning for eye care services, including the NHS Special School Eye Care Service. Charitable giving — one-off donations, monthly direct debits, lottery, legacy gifts, corporate partnerships, and workplace giving via the Donorbox online donation platform — supplements commissioned income, with professional fundraising organisations engaged. The only published product price is the Bradford Visual Function Box at £80 per unit plus VAT and postage, ordered via [email protected]. Outward-facing governance sits under a board of trustees chaired by Jack Stacy (with a leadership roster including CEO Lisa Hopkins, Finance Director Alun Shopland, Executive Director of Operations Brian Robinson, Director of Development Lauren Butler, and Director of People Martin Boyce), with Royal Patron HRH The Duchess of Gloucester GCVO and President The Lord Coe CH KBE.

Name

SeeAbility

Legal name

The Royal School for the Blind

Website

https://seeability.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1799

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SeeAbility is a UK charity (operating as The Royal School for the Blind) delivering specialist accommodation, dedicated eye care, and supported employment for adults and children with learning disabilities, autism, and sight loss, funded through local authority and NHS commissioning plus charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability support and social care services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Offices of Optometrists (62132)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Technology (AT) Evaluations & Needs Assessments (EDAKAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Vision Impairment & Blind/Low-Vision Inclusive Childcare (HSAAAIAK), Accessibility & Special-Needs Customer Support (BPAAABAM)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Specialist accommodation
• Eye care services
• Supported employment
• Vision rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Epsom

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable giving: SeeAbility raises funds from individual donors through one-time donations, monthly direct debits, and cheque contributions. The charity also operates a lottery and accepts legacy gifts. Professional fundraising organisations are engaged to fundraise on its behalf.
2. Social care commissioning (local authority funded support): SeeAbility provides specialist accommodation and support services for adults with learning disabilities and autism, funded primarily through contracts with local authorities and integrated care systems.
3. NHS-funded eye care services: Eye care services including NHS Special School Eye Care Services and community eye care pathways are funded through NHS commissioning arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SeeAbility provides specialist supported living accommodation for adults with learning disabilities and autism, comprehensive eye care services including NHS-commissioned special school and community optometry pathways, and the Ready, Willing and Able supported employment programme. It also runs lived-experience-led advocacy programmes (Listen Up! and Eye Care Champions) and sells the Bradford Visual Function Box, a proprietary functional vision assessment tool. Revenue derives from local authority/NHS service contracts, charitable donations, and product sales.

Product overview

SeeAbility is a disability charity offering a portfolio of services for people with learning disabilities, autism, and sight loss. The organization operates three interconnected service streams: specialist accommodation and supported living (Homes and Support), comprehensive eye care services (including the NHS Special School Eye Care Service, Easy Eye Care Pathway, and Vision Rehabilitation), and the Ready, Willing and Able employment programme. Supporting these are specialized tools including the Bradford Visual Function Box for functional vision assessment and advocacy programmes such as Listen Up! and Eye Care Champions that amplify lived experience voices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Homes and Support (Specialist Accommodation) Specialist supported living and accommodation services for adults with learning disabilities and autism, including residential homes and independent living options across multiple UK regions.
• Eye Care Services Comprehensive eye care services for people with learning disabilities and autism, including specialist sight tests, vision rehabilitation, and eye health support.
• Ready, Willing and Able (Supported Employment Programme) Supported employment programme helping people with learning disabilities or autism, who may also have sight loss, to find and maintain paid employment through employer partnerships and job coaching.
• Bradford Visual Function Box A functional vision assessment tool developed with Professor Rachel Pilling and Caroline Rawse to test the vision of people with complex and multiple disabilities who cannot actively engage with traditional eye tests. Includes small toys, black and white books, and beads of varying size and colour to assess visual function without requiring verbal communication.
• Easy Eye Care Pathway A structured eye care pathway providing longer appointments with opticians who have received additional training on supporting people with learning disabilities, including easy read information and adapted testing methods. Available in South East London, North West England, and Durham.
• Special School Eye Care Service NHS-commissioned service providing routine eye care and glasses to all special school students, based on SeeAbility's research and advocacy work, targeting approximately 165,000 children in England's special schools.
• Listen Up! (Advocacy Programme) Self-advocacy programme that incorporates people with lived experience of disability into SeeAbility's campaign work, raising the voice of people with learning disabilities, autism, and sight loss.
• Eye Care Champions Peer educator network of people with learning disabilities who inform others about what to expect from eye care services and the reasonable adjustments they are entitled to.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73,843 lives changed by SeeAbility support teams, specialist programmes and resources
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LushcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility's Ready, Willing and Able programme partnered with Lush cosmetics to create real employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism. The three-year partnership included placement of individuals in Lush stores and ongoing support.
• Pret a MangercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility's Ready, Willing and Able programme supported Natasha to find employment at Pret a Manger, demonstrating the programme's work with high-street employers to create inclusive workplaces.
• Learning Disability EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility is a proud supporter of Learning Disability England's Good Lives Manifesto, a manifesto made by people with learning disabilities with six key pledges for political candidates to champion the rights of people with learning disabilities.
• LOCSU (Local Optical Committee Support Unit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility worked with LOCSU to develop and pilot the Easy Eye Care pathway for people with learning disabilities — a commissioned pathway offering longer appointments with trained optometrists. The pathway is now available in South East London, North West England, and Durham areas.
• Professor Rachel Pilling and Caroline RawsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility collaborated with Professor Rachel Pilling and Caroline Rawse to develop the Bradford Visual Function Box — a functional vision assessment tool for people with complex and multiple disabilities. The collaboration produced a clinically validated product, with research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
• NHS EnglandcoreOthersBased on SeeAbility's research and advocacy, NHS England committed in its Long Term Plan to providing a fully funded eye care and glasses service (NHS Special School Eye Care Service) to all special school students — approximately 165,000 children.
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Holden, Director of Strategy & Deputy CEO at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, endorsed the Bradford Visual Function Box as 'deceptively simple, brilliantly innovative, changing lives.' The Trust was a collaborator in the development of the tool.
• My Vote My VoiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility supports the My Vote My Voice campaign which aims to make voting accessible to everyone, particularly people with learning disabilities and sight loss.
• Social Care FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeAbility supports the Social Care Future movement which calls for a different, more positive vision for social care — reimagining social care as an opportunity rather than a crisis.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• United Response: UK charity providing person-centred support for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs. Directly comparable as a supported living and personalised services provider in the same commissioning environment.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): UK's largest sight loss charity, offering advice, community services, eye care information and advocacy for blind and partially sighted people. Closely comparable as a UK vision-focused charity with both service delivery and policy advocacy functions.
• Sense: UK charity supporting people with complex disabilities including deafblindness, learning disabilities and autism through specialist services and campaigns. Comparable as a specialist disability charity combining accommodation, day services and policy advocacy.
• Certitude: London-based charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs through supported living and community services. Comparable as a competing specialist social care charity in overlapping English geographies.
• Royal Society for Blind Children: UK charity supporting blind and partially sighted children and young people through education, family support and advocacy. Comparable as a vision-impairment services and advocacy organisation with overlapping eye care and family support services.
• Guide Dogs: UK charity providing mobility and life skills services for people with sight loss, plus campaigning and children's services. Comparable as a major UK sight-loss charity combining direct service delivery, advocacy and a strong brand.
• Mencap: Leading UK learning disability charity providing supported living, employment programmes and campaigning. Closely comparable given overlapping learning disability mission, residential services and policy advocacy footprint.
• Hft: UK charity providing supported living and personalised services for people with learning disabilities. Comparable as a specialist learning disability accommodation and support provider competing for similar local authority contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Macular Society: UK charity dedicated to supporting people affected by macular disease, providing information, research funding and a helpline. Comparable as a vision-specific charity addressing a sub-segment of SeeAbility's eye care work.
• Vision Foundation: UK grant-making and advocacy foundation for blind and partially sighted people. Comparable as an adjacent sight-loss organisation funding research and inclusion work overlapping SeeAbility's advocacy remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SeeAbilityFilms
• Facebookfacebook.com/RSB.SeeAbility
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/seeability
• Instagraminstagram.com/seeability
• Xx.com/SeeAbility

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SeeAbility