ChildVision: A Legacy of Service
At ChildVision, our commitment to service, dedication, and care is deeply rooted in a history that stretches back over 150 years. These values continue to shape every new encounter — whether it’s welcoming a child who is blind or neurodiverse for the first time or supporting a family navigating the challenges of multiple disabilities.
Our mission has always been simple: to help make life better. This ethic of service didn’t begin with us; it’s a legacy we have inherited and continue to renew every day on the historic grounds of Drumcondra Castle in Dublin 9 — a place that first opened its doors to visually impaired people in 1870.
Our Beginnings
ChildVision’s story began when the Carmelite Brothers founded a centre for blind men, naming it after St. Joseph. These brothers were skilled craftsmen — wheelwrights, barrel makers, blacksmiths — who were determined to improve the lives of those most in need amidst Dublin’s extreme poverty.
Recognising the dire conditions faced by blind men, many of whom were forced into public begging, the Brothers believed in more than just providing shelter. Defying the common belief that blind people could not work, they established pioneering workshops where men learned trades like basket weaving and mat making. These efforts helped restore dignity and independence at a time when the blind were too often viewed only as objects of charity.
Growth and Change
In the 1950s, the Rosminians (Institute of Charity) took over the running of St. Joseph’s, expanding it into a primary and secondary school for blind and visually impaired boys from across Ireland. The focus remained firmly on providing practical skills and education that empowered young people to live fulfilling, independent lives.
New programmes were introduced, including orientation and mobility training, independent living skills, and opportunities for music, arts, crafts, and sports specially adapted for those with vision loss.
In the 1980s, ChildVision led the way again, becoming one of the first centres in Ireland to close traditional residential dormitories and move young people into small houses within the community. This bold shift gave students the chance to live richer, more independent, and visible lives. Around the same time, vocational education was introduced, offering meaningful lifelong learning opportunities for those outside traditional academic pathways.
Today
By the early 1990s, ChildVision had evolved into a fully integrated residential and educational service for young people from across Ireland (and beyond), supporting children and young adults with multiple and complex disabilities.
Through all these changes, one guiding principle has remained constant: our young people come first.
For nearly 160 years, we have reimagined, renewed, and innovated our services to meet the ever-changing needs of the children, young adults, and families we support. Today, just as in 1870, ChildVision is here — ensuring every child and young person we meet has the opportunity to live a life full of dignity, independence, and hope.
