The Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists

This collection is uncatalogued. The following is a temporary description which may change when detailed cataloguing takes place in the future.

Includes papers relating to the founding, business, and activities of the The Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists (AVICP), including: Executive Council meeting minutes; EGMs; AGMs, annual reports and financial statements; BACKUP forum newsletters, minutes and constitution; constitional and legal documentation, including Memorandum and Articles of Association (various iterations); documents re name changes; Constitution and related documents; photocopies of articles of interest; ABCP and AVICP papers; correspondence and papers re New Percy Way Memorial Library (NPWML); papers and correspondence relating to election of Presidents and Vice Presidents, other correspondence and papers relating to activities of the organisation, as well as an article on the history of blind physiotherapy by Dr Robert Jones.

c.1950-2024

2 boxes

Donated to Wellcome Collection, Sep 2024 by Dr Robert Jones, on behalf of the Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists. The work of AVICP is closely interwoven with the histories of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Following consultation with the donor, it was agreed that AVICP should form its own archive collection to reflect its separate but interconnected relationship with CSP.

The Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists (AVICP) was a registered charity and also a subgroup of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Its aims were to advance the interests of blind and partially sighted physiotherapists working in the NHS and private practice. Originally known as the Association of Blind Certificated Masseurs (ABCM), the organisation was founded in 1919. It was the first ever Specific Interest Group admitted to the Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses (later, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy). In its early years, the majority of its members were ex-military servicemen who had been blinded or visually impaired during the First World War.

In 1920 on the granting of the Royal Charter to Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses – which then became the Chartered Society of Physiotherpay - Percy Way, a blind qualified practitioner was the first man to be admitted to the Chartered Society and on the Council of the Chartered Society. The purpose of the ABCM was to advocate for blind and partially sighted physiotherapists, including providing education, training and lectures for members, ensuring sources were available in Braille and other formats and to protect their interests generally. The ABCM developed an extensive library in conjunction with RNIB and Blind Veterans UK of Braille, taped books and other materials, as well as producing and supplying other resources and information.

In 1953, the Association of Blind Certificated Masseuses changed its name to the Association of Blind Chartered Physiotherapists. In 1999, the name was changed again to the Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists. Following a steadily declining intake of practitioners and students, the Association closed down in 2024.

Related records are held within the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy archive at Wellcome Collection: SA/CSP.

Copyright in material created by The Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists has been transferred to Wellcome Collection: this material can be used under the conditions of a CC BY 4.0 licence. The copyright in all other material is held by a range of rights holders. You are free to use the material in any way that is permitted by copyright exceptions and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights holder.

This collection is currently uncatalogued and cannot be ordered online. Requests to view uncatalogued material are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact collections@wellcomecollection.org for more details.

None expected