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3. Deaf and Hard of Hearing
A total of 132 deaf or hard of hearing persons were on the
register of handicapped persons at the end of the year. Details
of these are as follows:

Four persons were added to the register during the year,
one deaf without speech and three hard of hearing.
Special Aids
Special aids for these classes of handicapped persons
are principally connected with providing help in communication.
For the deaf, visual door bell units are supplied and for the hard
of hearing, special loud ringing door bells are provided. Also
available through the Post Office are special loud ringing telephone
bells and amplification attachments to enable the hard, of
hearing to communicate by telephone.
Social Clubs
There are two Social Clubs, one for the deaf and one for
the hard of hearing. Both meet weekly and financial assistance
is given by the Council as and when necessary.
Social Work
The Social Welfare Officers’ principal work with the deaf is
concerned with helping those who may be isolated from the community
due to their handicap or help with problems that may arise
in the family. So far as the hard of hearing are concerned, the
Social Worker helps them to acknowledge their increasing loss of
hearing and to accept the use of amplification by hearing aids
issued on medical grounds. Another important aspect of the Social
Workers’ duties is concerned with helping the family to understand
the difficulties involved with loss of hearing so that they can
adjust to the problems involved.
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