The act was passed in response to pressure from the National League of the Blind (NLB) who claimed many of their members were living in poverty.

[1] The National League of the Blind (NLB) was founded in 1889 by Ben Purse to campaign for the rights of visually impaired persons.

[1][5] This drew public attention and, after NLB leaders met with the prime minister David Lloyd George, led directly to the Blind Persons Act 1920.

The NLB feared that the act would simply allow local authorities to sub-contract their responsibilities to the charities that they opposed.

[1] The Royal London Society for Blind People expected that the act would not be eagerly applied by the local authorities who did not wish to increase the burden on their ratepayers.

[7] Some officials in the Treasury expressed concern that the act would lead to accusations that the pension provided was not sufficient and that there would be subsequent requests from other disabled people to also have specific legislation.

[12] As it was passed before the formation of the Irish Free State in 1922 it was retained on the statute books in that country and part of it remains in force.