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131
Classification of Blind Persons
Children at School
70. Fortunately in the London Borough of Bromley there are few
children requiring education at a school for the blind. Of the
children at school one boy was at Worcester College for the Blind
which is a Secondary Grammar School; the other boy was receiving
secondary modern education at Linden Lodge School,
Wimbledon, and a girl at Dorton House, Seal, Nr. Sevenoaks, Kent.
During the year ended 31st March, 1967, three children left school
for further training or employment; eight children, being mentally
retarded, were unsuitable for education at school. Of these children,
five were patients in hospitals for the mentally subnormal and
the remaining two lived at home.
Employed
71. Where possible blind persons are trained for and ultimately
placed in open industry. Traditionally, blind persons gain employment
either in special workshops or as home workers. In the
London Borough of Bromley at 31st March, 1967, one blind female
was employed as a machine knitter in a workshop, one female was
similarly employed as a home worker and three male home workers
were piano tuners. The male home workers are approaching
retiring age and it is not anticipated that they will be replaced.
72. At 31st March, 1967, 41 males and 14 females were employed
in open industry in a variety of jobs. These cover a cross section of
industry and range from an unskilled labourer to machine operatives
and office workers through to professional workers. A detailed
analysis of occupations for blind persons was given in the previous
annual report.
Unemployed
73. The majority (333) of the 403 unemployed blind persons were
over the age of 65. Of the remaining 70, 37 were housewives, 12
mentally ill, 12 physically disabled, 4 employable with or without
training, and 5 not available for employment.
Register of the Partially Sighted
74. After adjustments for new registrations, transfers and deletions
from the register, there were 184 persons on the register as at 31st
March, 1967—a net increase of 12 on the previous year. The
number of registered partially sighted males increased from 59 at
31st March, 1966, to 63 at 31st March, 1967, and in the same period
the number of partially sighted females also increased from 113 to
121. Potentially an increase in the partially sighted register is
reflected in an increase in the blind register as the residual vision of
a partially sighted person often deteriorates. It is interesting to
note that at 31st March, 1967, the local register was exactly in line
with the national register of partially sighted persons.