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156
Sheltered Employment
The Greenwich Workshops for the Blind, which are administered
by the Council as Trustees of the Charity, continued to
function in two premises, to wit, at 166 Greenwich High Road,
and at Feathers Place. However, confirmation of the Greater
London Council's scheme for widening the Greenwich High Road
has provoked plans for the erection of a new structure at Feathers
Place which, with changes to one of the old buildings, will permit
the transfer of the rope shop and provide the necessary storage
together with a new office and staff facilities. Because of a lack
of workers and the complete absence of any trainees the manufacture
of bedding will cease.
For the present, 21 blind and partially sighted workers continue
to produce mattresses, baskets and "fend-offs", the old craft
trades which have been practised for so many years.
Blind Homeworkers
There is a scheme for the employment of the blind in their own
homes for which the Directorate is responsible and these homeworkers
pursue a variety of trades, e.g. basket making, machine
knitting and even a retail grocery shop. Seven Greenwich blind
homeworkers continued to participate in the scheme which is
supervised, on behalf of the Council, by the Royal National
Institute for the Blind. These participants were reduced during
the course of the year by the unfortunate death of one of their
number, a basket weaver.
Concessions
A registered blind person may be eligible for the following
concessions and action is taken by the department to ensure that
they are received:
(a) An increase in Social Security benefits.
(b) An exemption pass on London Transport buses which
allows the blind person and an escort to travel at the cost
of one fare.
(c) A certificate for the exemption of payment of a fee for a
wireless receiving licence.
(d) Provision of a free white stick by the Metropolitan
Society for the Blind.
(e) Free loan of a wireless set by the Society for the Blind.
(f) Free loan of a spark guard.