London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington and Chelsea 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington & Chelsea Borough]
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105
PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS
There is no statutory definition in the National Assistance Act,
1948, of partial sight, but the Ministry of Health has advised that a
person who is not blind within the meaning of the Act of 1948 but who
is, nevertheless, substantially and permanently handicapped by congenitally
defective vision or in whose case illness or injury has caused defective
vision of a substantial and permanently handicapping character is within
the scope of the Welfare Services which the local authority are empowered
to provide for blind persons, This does not apply to other benefits
specially enjoyed by the registered blind.
The register of partially sighted persons (Table I) shows a total
of 134 (123) of whom 39 (36) were newly registered during the year
(Table II).
An analysis of the causes of partial sight of the newly registered
is shown in Table IV.
Training and Employment
Severely handicapped
There are sixty-one persons near and prospectively blind who require the full range of Welfare Services. Their circumstances are as follows:-
| Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employed | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Undergoing training | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Awaiting suitable placement | 2 | 2 | |
| Not available for employment or not capable of work | 5 | 46 | 51 |
| 11 | 50 | 61 (50) | |
| Requiring observation only | 15 | 15 (20) | |
| Industrially handicapped | |||
| The remaining persons registered are classified thus:- | |||
| Children aged 16 years and over still at school | - | 1 | 1 |
| Employed | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Available for and capable of training for work | 2 | - | 2 |
| Not available for work | 10 | 33 | 43 |
| 20 | 37 | 57 (50) | |
| Education | |||
| One child under 15 years is attending a special day school | 1 | - | 1 (3) |
| TOTAL | 32 | 102 | 134 (123) |