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In the absence of any scheme for physically handicapped persons
in Barking, the Barking Borough Council through its Public Health
Committee sponsored a public meeting on the 21st May, 1952, with a
view to an appropriate scheme being set up. At this public meeting
it was agreed "that a Committee should be set up for the purpose of
forming a voluntary organisation for the promotion of the welfare of
Physically Handicapped Persons within the Borough". The Committee
referred to met on the 18th September, 1952, and from thencc emerged
the Barking Association for the Welfare of the Physically Handicapped
which held its first meeting on the 29th October, 1952.
The Barking Borough Council made representations to the Essex
County Council to implement the provisions of Circular 32/51, but
it was not until July 1953, that the County's Scheme was approved
by the Minister of Health.
Register
There are at present some 150 persons, mostly very severely
handicapped, registered with the Association, although probably there
is a significant number of other people in Barking who could properly
come within the classification "physically handicapped", Which includes
any person 'substantially and permanently handicappe by illness,
injury or congenital deformity', and does not necessari mean that
the person must have lost a limb or be an obvious cripple.
A special point is made to offer registration to physically handicapped
children leaving Faircross School.
Problems facing Handicapped People
These can be divided roughly into "individual" and "collective"
problems.
Individual problems often arise from neglect to take proper advantage
of welfare and social services, usually caused through inability
to "move at will" but it is a heartening fact that, univecally, people
administering these services show great sympathy when problems
affecting the physically handicapped are brought to their notice
The following matters give some idea of the scope of the Association's
work in helping to solve individual problems:—
(1) Provision of Wheelchairs (Liaison with Family Doctor, Local
Health Authority, Ministry of Health and Hospital)
(2) Widening of paths, gateways, lowering of kerbo provision of
ramps, etc. (Liaison with the Barking Borough Council.
London County Council and County Welfare Department)
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