Blind from childhood, Sir John Wall made light of his disability to build a distinguished career as a lawyer and as a judge. He combined the gift of a phenomenal memory with a passion to help others that enthused those around him, and his clients were as committed to him as he was to them.

Wall was also a key figure within the visually impaired community. As well as proving that blindness need be no burden to professional success, he worked tirelessly to help those with disabilities to integrate easily into society.

John Anthony Wall was born in 1930, in East Finchley, North London. Although he suffered from severe glaucoma that significantly hampered his vision, he attended a mainstream school until the age of 8, when he lost his sight completely. After two years at Chorleywood School for the blind, he moved to Worcester College for the Blind in 1940.

Quickly distinguishing himself as an extremely able pupil, Wall took his School Certificate — the equivalent of the present GCSE — at the age of 14, topping his class despite being two years younger than the other boys. Also that year, he announced himself to the chess world, comprehensively defeating the former world champion Dr Max Euwe in a simultaneous challenge.

After another excellent performance in his Higher School Certificate examinations, Wall accepted a place at Balliol College, Oxford. Graduating in 1951, he read jurisprudence, and also represented the university at chess.

Despite his outstanding academic background, Wall encountered an institutionalised prejudice that meant that it took more than 400 applications and exactly 53 interviews before he was given a job. Finally employed as an articled clerk in Wilkins, Rowan and Newman, a small Chelsea law firm, he was admitted as a solicitor in 1954. In 1956 he began work as a legal adviser to Nalgo, the National Association of Local Government Officers now known as Unison. It was during this period that he made his first attempt to join the judiciary. He was refused, on the ground that his blindness would prevent him from reading documents and observing the demeanour of witnesses. It was also felt that the presence of a blind judge would fail to inspire the confidence of the public in his ability to preside effectively.

After 18 years at Nalgo, Wall decided to enter private practice, joining the City firm Middleton Lewis as a partner, specialising in litigation. Three years later the firm merged with Lawrence Graham, where Wall continued to build a reputation for sharp legal judgment and supreme client service.

In 1990 he again applied to the Department of the Lord Chancellor to become a judge. On this occasion he was successful, appointed a Deputy Master of the High Court and assigned to the Chancery Division, working beside a Chief Master for a week. This was followed by a further week sitting alone as a temporary Deputy, and in 1991 he was formally and permanently appointed to the post, the first blind person in modern times to occupy such a position.

Wall controlled his courtroom with a ruthless preciseness that was also the hallmark of his style of advocacy. He did not consider his disability to be an impediment to his career; having lost his sight at such an early age, he felt that the heightened development of his other senses worked to his advantage. So although he was unable to observe the disposition of witnesses, he was sensitive to their tone of voice and, unlike other judges, never prejudiced by appearances.

Renowned for his unstinting devotion to his profession, Wall was admired by his peers for the speed and efficiency at which he worked. His colleagues became accustomed to receiving memos and e-mails at odd times of the night, while remaining surprised at how quickly he was able to complete complicated tasks. Similarly, he would never shy from providing advice or support to clients and colleagues, however much it inconvenienced him.

Wall retired as a partner at Lawrence Graham in 1993, spending two further years as a consultant. He continued sitting as a judge until 2002.

Outside his professional career, Wall served the blind community with distinction. In 1962, he joined the executive council of what is now known as the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and became chairman of its publications and equipment committee in 1967. He was appointed vice-chairman of the executive council in 1975 and was chairman from 1990-2000.

Wall was not, however, a one-organisation man. Donating his time as freely as his work allowed, he drafted the constitutions of eight other organisations for the visually impaired, and at the time of his death was in the middle of revising that of the European Blind Union (EBU). He also assisted numerous other groups, often not as chairman but as secretary, never shying away from the menial tasks that his status would have permitted him to avoid.

Serving the EBU in a number of roles, Wall was president between 1996 and 2003. His most notable achievement was in realising that to further the interests of partially-sighted people it was essential that he influence the lawmakers at the European Commission. In this way, Wall helped to lead the disability movement into the modern world. For his services to the blind community, he was appointed CBE in 1994 and knighted in 2000.

Wall married twice; both of his wives predeceased him. He is survived by his four sons from his first marriage.

Sir John Wall, CBE, solicitor and judge, was born on June 4, 1930. He died of heart failure on December 1, 2008, aged 78