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78
Talking Books
73. The Nuffield Talking Book Library provides Talking Book
Machines on loan to registered blind persons over the age of 21,
or to persons who have defective vision and can prove by an
ophthalmologist's report that their eyesight is so poor that they
cannot read. A comprehensive list of books on tape is available
from the Library. 106 residents of the London Borough of Bromley
were in possession of Talking Book Machines at 31st March, 1966.
The cost of renting a Talking Book Machine is £3 per annum,
plus 57- if headphones are used. 90 blind persons pay the rental
for a Talking Book Machine themselves; the remaining 16 have
the rental paid by the Kent County Association for the Blind.
Social Rehabilitation
74. The main centres for Social Rehabilitation are situated at
Oldbury Grange, Bridgnorth; Manor House, Torquay; and
America Lodge, Torquay. These Centres are administered
by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. It may be found
that after a short period of social rehabilitation at Torquay a blind
or partially-sighted person is suitable for transfer to the Industrial
Rehabilitation Course also run at Torquay on behalf of the Ministry
of Labour. The charge for the Course, £7 10s. 0d. per week, then
becomes the responsibility of the ministry of Labour. Oldbury
Grange only caters for Social Rehabilitation, mainly housewives and
men in an upper age group. When a blind person, due to domestic
circumstances, is unable to undertake a period of residential
rehabilitation, facilities for attendance at the Warwick Row Centre
have been afforded by the City of Westminster.
Services Provided by the Kent County Association for the Blind
75. The blind and partially-sighted persons of Kent have the
support of a strong voluntary organisation, the Kent County
Association for the Blind, in addition to the services provided by
the local authorities, central government and national agencies.
This Association, which is centred at Maidstone, supplements the
statutory services and provides the extras which might not be
available otherwise. A list of the various services is shown below
and it will be seen that most of the social outlet for blind and
partially-sighted persons is provided by Kent County Association
for the Blind. The London Borough of Bromley makes a nominal
grant of £10 per annum to the Association.
Services Provided
76. 1. Financial help in cases of special need.
2. Recreational facilities:
(a) Social Clubs, where necessary providing transport;