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WELFARE OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY-SIGHTED
The County Council is responsible, under the National Assistance Act, 1948,
for the provision of welfare services for the blind and partially-sighted.
There are resident in the Borough 96 blind and 32 partially-sighted persons.
14 of these are in full-time employment; 1 is in a Workshop for the Blind and
3 are Home Workers, receiving augmentation and supplementation of earnings from
the County Council. The remainder are not available for, or are not capable of,
training or employment, owing to age or infirmity or for some other reason.
There are also 5 partially-sighted and 6 blind children under the age of 16
years, 7 of whom are at Special Schools. In addition 1 blind person and 1
partially-sighted person between the ages of 16 and 20 are receiving further
education and 2 blind persons are in training.
The County Council provides a Home Teaching service for the visitation of
blind and partially-sighted people in their own homes, the object of which is
to enable partially-sighted and blind people to lead as full and active lives
as their handicap allows. The duties of the Home Teachers include advising blind
and partially-sighted persons on all problems relating to their welfare and of
all the available social services, assisting them in overcoming the effects of
their disabilities, giving instruction in Braille and Moon systems of raised
type, in handcrafts, and, where appropriate, in the deaf-blind manual alphabet.
A handcraft class is held fortnightly at Christ Church Hall, Turnhajn Green.
A County Council Old Time Dancing Class for the Blind is held weekly in
Ealing and a number of blind residents in the Borough attend. The County Council
works in close co-operation with Voluntary Organisations, including (a) The
Middlesex Association for the Blind, who maintain a Holiday Home at Littlehampton,
two Residential Homes for the Blind and assist individual necessitous blind
persons and (b) The Social Club for the Blind which meets fortnightly at Christ
Church Hall. This Club is maintained and managed by a voluntary Committee.
Attendance ranges from 30 to 45 at each meeting. The meeting is a social gathering
with occasional talks, and more usually entertainment. A Christmas dinner,
a Spring Buffet Supper, and a Summer Excursion to the sea are arranged. Members
are sent for holidays at reduced prices to two caravans at Lancing, Sussex provided
by public subscription from the citizens of Brentford and Chiswick and
maintained by Middlesex County Council.
The British Wireless for the Blind Fund supplies wireless sets to registered
blind persons through the County Council which maintains all sets for blind and
partially-sighted persons.
Other services provided directly by the County Council or through a Registered
agency, include facilities for the placement of blind persons in employment,
courses of residential rehabilitation, training courses for mothers with
babies, the supply of embossed literature, special equipment and handcraft
materials, assistance in the disposal of handcrafts, and assisted holidays for
those in need.
WELFARE OF HANDICAPPED PERSONS OTHER THAN BLIND
Schemes for the welfare of handicapped persons other than blind and partially
sighted are operated by the County Council's Welfare Department under the
National Assistance Act, 1948; these cover the deaf and dumb and hard of hearing,
and other persons who are substantially and permanently handicapped by
crippling diseases or congenital deformity.
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