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At its Training and Work Centre at Ruislip, 30 Spastics attend daily where they are
engaged on light engineering, assembly, printing and other suitable sub-contract work for
local firms. A Social Club meets monthly at Perivale, various coach and other outings are
arranged and financial help given in cases of extreme hardship. Advice and help is given
in providing improved medical and educational facilities.
Some of the Spastics who have had training and experience at the Work Centre have
gained sufficient confidence to obtain outside employment; others more severely handicapped
have been provided with work at home.
Charitable appeals for money are constantly made to ensure the continuation of the
Society's work and efforts are being made to secure larger and more permanent premises
so that those Spastics who are at present virtually housebound can also be brought to the
Society's Training and Work Centre.
Women's Voluntary Service:
The Women's Voluntary Service is very active in Southall, and amongst the many
services given by its members the following are particularly connected with Welfare:—
Clerical work in all three clincs in Southall; provision of a Trolley Shop in both
Southall-Norwood and Mount Pleasant Hospitals; issue of batteries for deaf aids in
Southall Hospital; making out-patients' teas on Clinic days in Southall Hospital; taking
the telephone trolley round Southall Hospital for patients' use; help in the X-ray department
with the filing at Southall Hospital; issue of Welfare Foods from W.V.S. Office.
Welfare of the Blind and Partially Sighted:
The Welfare services for the blind and partially-sighted are the responsibility of the
County Council under the National Assistance Act, 1948.
In 1963, there were resident in the Borough 88 blind and 19 partially-sighted persons.
There were 3 partially-sighted children attending Special Schools. Eleven blind persons
were in full-time employment. Of these, one was in a Workshop for the Blind, and one was
working as a Home Worker. The earnings of these two persons were augmented by the
County Council.
The County Council's Welfare Department provides a Home Teaching service, the
object of which is to enable blind and partially-sighted people to lead full and active lives
by assisting them in overcoming the effects of their disabilities.
The majority of blind persons are either not able to take employment owing to age or
infirmity, or for some reason are not available for employment. Amongst the latter are
housewives who may receive instruction from the Home Teachers in carrying out their
household duties in their own homes or in special classes or in residential courses of social
rehabilitation.
The Home Teachers visit all blind and partially-sighted persons in their own homes, in
hospitals and in residential homes, advise on all problems relating to their welfare and
keep them in touch with available social services. They give instruction in Braille and
Moon systems of embossed type, and in handicrafts. Deaf-Blind persons also receive the
services of a special Home Teacher for the Deaf-Blind. A handicraft class is held fortnightly
at the King's Hall Methodist Church, South Road, Southall.
Close co-operation is maintained between the County Council and Voluntary Organisations,
including the Social Club for the Blind, which holds fortnightly meetings at the
Labour Hall, The Broadway, Southall, and the Middlesex Association for the Blind, which
assists individual necessitous blind people and maintains a holiday home at Littlehampton,
two holiday caravans at Lancing, and two Residential Homes for the Blind.
The Southall Blind Club has a membership of 34 with an average age of 73, and transport
to Club meetings is carried out by members of Southall Round Table and Inner
Wheel. The Club is social and in 1963 also ran two coach outings and a Christmas party.
Blind persons are eligible for the loan of a wireless receiver through the British "Wireless
for the Blind" Fund, and the County Council has a scheme for assisting blind and
partially-sighted persons with the maintenance of wireless sets
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