View report page

44
Type.
Idiot.
Imbecile.
Feebleminded.
Not defective.
Insufficient
evidence.
Males 9 122 202 16 1
Females 11 101 215 24 1
Totals 20 223 417 40 2
Details with regard to certain children who were examined, between the age of
7 and 16 will be found on page 161, referring to the work of the School Medical
Service.
Occupation
Centres.
In 1923, ten Occupation Centres were opened and operated under the proviso
that 75 per cent. of the cases on the roll of each centre shall be cases which have
been placed under Statutory supervision. At the beginning of the year under review
there were nine Occupation Centres, but one of these was closed on the 12th April,
1927. Provision has been made for the employment of guides where necessary, in
order to convey the children to and from the Centres.
A special visit was made to the Agnes Western Centre (St. James's Hall, Collier
Street, Pentonville Road) by Dr. Carleton Williams, who reported that there were
20 children on the roll. The average attendance was said to be 18, though 19 children
were actually in attendance on the day of the visit. The children had dinner at the
Centre at a cost of 4d. per head, which was contributed by all the parents without
demur, except that in two cases of great poverty the sum was fixed at 2d. The
children were seen at dinner, the food was good and in general the table manners were
admirable. Cleanliness and tidiness were noteworthy and the sense of propriety was
such that a boy with a dirty nose was immediately noticed and attended to by the
others. Each child had a tooth brush kept for him and a pair of shoes, and each
one washed his or her hands before dinner. The improved behaviour of these boys
and girls was found to be highly appreciated by the parents. The contrast in
appearance, cheerfulness, and behaviour with those left at home was very striking.
The time-table included drill and games in a garden-space behind the hall, handwork
and speech training, and Dr. Williams was shown some excellent samples of simple
handwork in mats.
Blind Persons Act, 1920.
During the year 98 persons over school age were seen. Of these, 50 males and
16 females were found to be capable of benefiting by training, and 18 males and 13
females were rejected, either because they were not certifiable as blind within the
meaning of the Act, or were physically unfit for training. One case was referred
for re examination at the end of a further period of three months. Advice was
given as to the trades in which the persons should severally be trained, having
regard to the prospects of future employment.
Definition of
blindness.
In the report for last year, reference was made to Circular (681) issued in March,
1926, by the Ministry of Health, indicating that the Ministry did not deem persons,
whose visual acuity, after correction of refractive errors, was greater than 6/60
(Snellin), to be blind unless the defect of eyesight included such special conditions
as a great contraction of the field of vision. In April, 1927, the Ministry issued a
further Circular (780) drawing attention to certain exceptions to the strict numerical
standard, and emphasising that only visual conditions should be taken into account,
and that other infirmities and occupation conditions should not be considered.
The Circular further directed that all applications, made to the Ministry, for approval
of new entrants to a grant-aided service for the blind should be accompanied by a
medical certificate giving (i.) the degree of visual acuity in each eye of the new
entrant, (ii.) the nature and extent of the visual defects present, and (iii.) a definite
opinion, formed after due consideration of all the visual conditions, that the person
is too blind to perform work for which eyesight is essential.