David Blunkett was born in 1947 into a family living in one of the less prosperous parts of his home city of Sheffield (renowned for steel, silver ware, cutlery and craftsmanship). The system for education for blind children at that time required attendance at a specialist school where children were expected to become boarders rather than being able to go home regularly (which is much more the case for those without multiply handicaps today). He learnt to read and write Braille, to use tactile methods for mathematics and to be able to deal with personal mobility and hygiene.
Riding two wheeler bikes, playing football with ball bearings in the ball, and cricket with a bell in the ball led to all sorts of accidents but a great deal of fun.
At the age of twelve he moved to a secondary school in the county of Shropshire which is on the border of England and Wales. The school he attended did not undertake public examinations so at the age of 16 he started to attend a college for evening classes whilst undertaking a commercial course to learn how to use, what in those days was a typewriter, and to undertake Braille short hand and office skills. He built up the necessary qualifications over a six year period (having returned to his home city of Sheffield and obtained an office job for two years), including the National Certificate in Business Studies, and A Levels in Economics, Law and Economic History.
At the age of 22 he entered the University of Sheffield to study political theory and institutions. Whilst at university he became Britain’s youngest elected City Councilor – serving on firstly Sheffield City Council and then (briefly) on the newly formed Metropolitan County Council which disappeared in the reorganization of local government in 1986.
His main claim to fame on the Metropolitan Authority was leading the innovative and progressive public transport programme with reduced fares and improved frequencies, which became notorious and led the Greater London Council to attempt to follow the example. He remained on Sheffield City Council and became firstly, Chairman in Charge of Social Services, and then the Leader of the Council from 1980-1987. At this time he was also elected to the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee and played a major part as Deputy Chairman of the National Association for Local Government. In 1987 he was elected the Labour Member of Parliament for the Sheffield Brightside constituency, one of six parliamentary constituencies in the city of Sheffield.
He held a number of positions while Labour was in opposition, but in 1997 when the Blair led government came to office he was made Education and Employment Secretary in the Cabinet, subsequently four years later the Home Secretary (covering the whole of law and order, criminal justice, immigration and counter terrorism) and briefly had responsibility for the whole of welfare, social security and pensions.
He is now involved in a very large number of voluntary and community (charitable) ventures, and is also engaged in issues as wide ranging as internet security, welfare reform and technology in schools.
As for Blind technologies, David Blunkett uses Braille - and has taken part in the Bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille celebrated at the beginning of January in Paris, but also throughout 2009. Both in undertaking constituency and wider duties, and when a member of the Cabinet, David has material read onto cassette (which can then be speeded up) and has access in his constituency office in Sheffield as well as in his parliamentary office in London, to computerised Brailling facilities. Therefore Braille and taped material form the backcloth for being able to undertake the job on equal terms. David has also had a guide dog for the last forty years. The five dogs he has had so far have been instrumental in giving him dignity and independence as well as ease of mobility. The dogs are specially trained to deal with the environment in which he works.
David has recently produced policy documents on the Voluntary and Community Sector (for the Prime Minister Gordon Brown), has chaired a Commission on dedicated school transport, and produced documents relating to affordable credit for poorer families (as part of an anti poverty drive) and a paper on social mobility and encouraging aspiration.
He also undertakes radio and television interviews and writes a regular column in newspapers, on a range of issues and takes part in major speaking engagements (a recent law lecture on balancing civil liberties with measures for counter terrorism is one example) whilst on a lighter note continues his interest in poetry.
He remains close to the Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues, has a wide range of interests nationally and internationally, and at the end of last year took part in a major visit to East Africa to promote action to prevent blindness, integration of children into schooling and changes in culture and attitude towards blind people and disability in general.