Lady Jean Wilson OBE, 1922-2026

Lady Jean Wilson, who has died aged 103, was co-founder of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind (which later became Sightsavers) with her husband, Sir John Wilson. Their mission was to help end avoidable blindness and promote disability inclusion.

Sightsavers’ CEO, Dr Caroline Harper, has paid tribute to Lady Jean, saying: “Jean will be hugely missed by all of us at Sightsavers, and she has left an incredible legacy. I was privileged to spend time with her over the years. She had a passionate commitment to addressing avoidable blindness and ensuring people with disabilities could access education and realise their potential. Jean remained an active vice president to the last – she was a key speaker at our annual general meeting (AGM) when she was 100 years old. She had a unique spirit and she will always be remembered.”

Lady Jean and Sir John (who was blind himself) met during World War II and married in 1944, after she had completed her degree. In the 1950s and 1960s, Lady Jean often accompanied Sir John on his travels to Africa and Asia.

During these trips, the couple witnessed the scale of blindness and extreme poverty experienced by people with sight loss in Africa. They travelled to villages where nearly everyone had lost their vision because of blinding diseases. Many years later, Lady Jean recalled her shock at seeing blind adults being led by children or using ropes to guide their way to fetch water.

Many cases of avoidable blindness that the couple encountered were caused by onchocerciasis, a neglected tropical disease. While standing on a riverbed with Sir John, surrounded by flies, Lady Jean coined the term ‘river blindness,’ which is now widely used around the world to describe the disease. She has been quoted as saying: “You know, it’s no good calling this thing onchocerciasis. No one can pronounce it or spell it. You certainly can’t raise funds for it. Let’s call it river blindness.”

On returning to the UK, Lady Jean and Sir John founded Sightsavers in 1950, in a small office in central London. Their close-knit team soon expanded and, within nine months, Sightsavers had received royal assent from King George VI (the role of Sightsavers’ patron is currently held by King Charles III). Lady Jean would later recall those early days with fondness, describing them as “tremendous fun”.

Having seen the impact of blindness on people’s lives and livelihoods, Lady Jean and Sir John recognised the importance of providing education and training for children and adults with disabilities, to support their independence. Lady Jean, herself a teacher, visited schools in the US where children with and without disabilities learned together. This vital experience convinced her that an integrated approach to education would also work in other countries.

Lady Jean and Sir John went on to establish organisations including the Impact Foundation, the Hearing Conservation Council and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Throughout her life, Lady Jean remained closely involved with Sightsavers’ mission and was the keynote speaker at the organisation’s AGM in 2023. She also served as a vice president of Sightsavers until her death. Her passion, enthusiasm and commitment to improve lives have helped to shape Sightsavers’ work for more than 75 years.