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192
BLIND PERSONS ACT, 1920.
Under Section 102 (1) of the Local Government Act, 1929,
the Minister of Health was required to make a scheme providing
for payments of contributions of such amounts as might be specified
in the scheme to any voluntary association which provided services
for the welfare of the blind, by the Councils of Counties and County
Boroughs in which are resident blind persons for whose benefit the
services are provided.
The scheme, which came into force on April 1st, 1930, has
continued during 1934.
Under this scheme the Council pays grants to twelve societies,
among which by far the largest grant is made to the Croydon
Voluntary Association for the Blind.
The visitation of home teachers, employees of workshops, home
workers and inmates of homes subject to grant are now carried out
by the Medical Officer of Health who reports from time to time to
the Blind Persons Act Committee.
Close co-operation has been maintained with the Croydon
Voluntary Association for the Blind. The Blind persons residing
in Croydon are now visited at regular and frequent intervals by
the Health Visitors and any circumstances in their reports justifying
further investigation, are followed up by the Deputy Medical
Officer of Health.
I am indebted to the Secretary of the Voluntary Association
for the figures below:—
Number of blind on Register 352
Number of blind who benefit from instruction in
Braille or Moon Type (including those who
already read) 74
Number of blind who benefit from part-time
instruction 18
Number in remunerative handicrafts—
(a) Home workers 26
(b) In workshops 7
Home Teacher 1
The Health Visitors paid 882 visits to blind persons during
the year. The Medical Officer also paid home visits to blind
persons during the year.