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In conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and other organisations
working for the handicapped, rehabilitation courses have been arranged
and support given to social rehabilitation of handicapped persons.
Particular mention should be made of the holiday scheme whereby 100
handicapped persons went on holidays organised by the Council or were
assisted with their own privately arranged holidays. 31 relatives and
escorts assisted with the scheme.
A Work Centre for the handicapped has been planned to open next
year and the accent will be on productive outwork, perhaps even the
assembly of light industrial products. Although the Work Centre will
begin in a small way, it is hoped that 40/45 persons will ultimately
attend. In this field much work is done by the voluntary organisations
such as the British Red Cross Society, W.R.V.S., and the Societies
dealing with specific handicaps or "illnesses. The Sutton Association
for the Disabled has been formed to co-ordinate the work of the voluntary
organisations and the department and it is hoped that the Association
will play an important part in this way.
Visits by Welfare Officers
Social work with the physically handicapped and registration 2244 (1236)
Aids and adaptations 762 (362)
Occupational therapy 993 (673)
Industrial outwork 321 (185)
(b) Care of the Deaf
The number of deaf and hard of hearing on the register is now
90 compared with 94 in 1965. A qualified welfare officer for the deaf
not being available, a social welfare officer of the staff was sent on a
6 weeks course (full-time) for deaf welfare during 1967.
(c) Care of the Blind
A Welfare Authority has responsibility for maintaining a register
for the blind and partially sighted. At the beginning of the year there
were 327 blind and 62 partially-sighted people registered in Sutton but
by the end of the year these figures had increased to 347 and 65 respectively.
Two social welfare officers for the blind are employed, one blind and
one sighted. They visit blind and partially sighted people in their
own homes for general welfare purposes and also teach crafts, Braille
and Moon. A well-attended craft class has been held fortnightly at Highfield
Hall throughout the year and registered blind persons have been sent on
social rehabilitation courses and assisted holidays. As in the case
of other handicapped classes, aids and gadgets to assist daily living
are distributed and the social welfare officers act as agents for the
distribution of radio sets and talking books. Particular mention should
be made of the efforts to obtain employment for blind persons, particularly
on discharge from training or from residential schools.
The Friendly Club for the Blind meets in Sutton every fortnight
and provides a valuable social and recreational outlet for blind people,
many of whom have few such opportunities. The Sutton Association for the
Blind has been formed to take over the work formerly done by the
Surrey Association and this organisation has given valuable help.
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