The NLBD is the oldest organisation of disabled people in the world, and was originally founded as a trade union in 1899.
The NLBD’s first successful campaign was in 1920, which provided disabled people with the first legislation specifically for blind people in the introduction of the 1920 Blind Persons Act. This tradition continues today in the struggle for full civil rights, which recently led to the formation of the Disability Rights Commission. The NLBD also played a major part in the campaign for the 2005 Disability Discrimination Act.
The NLBD joined forces with the old ISTC trade union in 2000 to help form Community as a whole new vision of what trade unionism should be about. In addition to our expertise in representing people at the workplace, we are primarily a campaigning organisation and have had some tremendous successes throughout our long history.