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In addition to blind children there is a certain number of
children who may be called partially blind. These children
are not suitable for education by methods applicable to the
totally blind, nor yet by methods applicable to children with
normal vision. They come within the definition of "blind"
given in the Act of 1893, viz., "too blind to be able to read
the ordinary school books used by children," and speoial
provision requires to be made for them.
Children of this class may pass beyond school-age in
a practically uneducated state (it having been found impossible
to gain admission to any suitable school). As an
example, the case of W.W. may be quoted. At the agt
of eight years this child was found to be highly shortsighted.
She had been taken to various hospitals, and as
soon as the Committee's Clinic was opened, was brought
there. Now, with the aid of very strong glasses, she can
see 6/12 and 6/18. Being now nearly 14 years old, she
cannot be sent to an ordinary elementary school on account
of her backwardness, even if her sight were sufficiently good
for her to profit by ordinary teaching. Application was
therefore made to all institutions where she might possibly be
taken as a day pupil, but nowhere could she be admitted.
Attendance at a class for semi-blind children would in a
year or two doubtless fit her to earn her own living in some
capacity, as she is quite a bright child.
Special class-rooms are needed for the education of the
partially blind child, provided with the best possible illumination.
Preferably all work necessitating the use of the
eyes should be done in daylight, the time during which
artificial light is used being given up to drill, games, and
oral teaching.
All work involving any eye-strain must be carefully
avoided, and teaching should be as much as possible oral,
which can frequently be arranged with other classes of
normal-sighted children. Manual and physical training