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Registers, which are maintained by the department, cover not
only the blind and partially sighted but the deaf and dumb and also
those persons who are severely or permanently handicapped by
illness, injury or congenital deformity. New cases, referred to the
department by various agencies such as hospitals, Ministry of Health
Appliance Centre, housing department, etc., are visited by a Social
Worker who prepares a comprehensive report. It is found that the
majority of referrals are eligible for registration.
Once a person has been registered, arrangements are made for
the handicapped person to be visited as frequently as necessary by a
Social Worker who will advise and assist in all the practical dayto-day
matters which may be affected by the particular handicap.
These matters cover a wide field, e.g. housing, National Insurance,
dressing, feeding, cooking, mobility, etc., and much detailed casework
may be necessary particularly in the early stages. On
occasions, casework involves homeless families and the investigation
of applications for admission to residential accommodation. Help
with specific problems can often be obtained from voluntary and
statutory organisations.

Welfare of the Blind
A study of the local figures of the main causes of blindness
or serious defective vision indicates the following most common
conditions: ophthalmia neonatorum, interstitial keratitis,
glaucoma, cataract and certain retinal lesions. A high proportion
of these lesions are preventable or remediable if detected sufficiently
early.
In infancy the common conditions are congenital abnormalities
which present the same difficulties or the same difficult problems
of prevention as other congenital lesions. Similarly, in old age
degenerative processes, arteriosclerosis and cateract are the most
common presenting causes of blindness or gross deterioration of
vision.