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1950s 

• The British Empire Society for the Blind was formed.
• Ground breaking research into blindness was conducted in West Africa.
• The British Empire Society for the Blind becomes Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind.

1960s 

• The first mobile eye units were launched in Kenya and Uganda.
• The first eye camp was held in Pakistan.
• Open education programmes for blind children were pioneered throughout the developing world.

1970s 

• Collaborated with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to distribute vitamin A to prevent childhood blindness.
• HM the Queen opened our current headquarters in Haywards Heath.
• The first in-country surgical training programme started in Bangladesh.

1980s 

• An emergency appeal was launched to help those blinded in the Bhopal disaster in India.
• A Blue Peter appeal raised £2 million for Sightsavers, breaking all previous records.
• The Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind became Sightsavers.

1990s 

• Sightsavers started distributing the drug Mectizan® to combat river blindness.
• Sightsavers signed up to Vision 2020, the global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness.

2000s 

• Sightsavers supported its three-millionth cataract operation and 50-millionth treatment of Mectizan®.
• The Bangladesh Childhood Cataract Campaign was launched, whereby we pledge to restore the sight of every child in the country who has cataract.
• The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities took effect. It will help prevent the discrimination and segregation faced by disabled people.