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The majority of blind persons are either not capable of employment owing
to age or infirmity, or for some reason are not available for employment, Amongst
the latter are housewives who may receive instruction in carrying out their
household duties from the Home Teachers or in residential courses of social
rehabilitation
An Old Time Daacing 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. The meeting
is a social gathering with an average attendance of 25, with occasional talks,
and more usually entertainment, A Christmas dinner, a Spring Buffet Supper,
and a Summer Excursion to the sea are arranged, Members may go away for holidays
at reduced prices to two caravans at Lancing, Sussex provided by public sub
scription from the citizens of Brentford and Chiswick and maintained by Middlesex
Association for the Blind
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
blind 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 par
tially 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.
The County Council' s Welfare Department has provided two Welfare Visitors
for persons in the Borough who are suffering from substantial and permanent
handicaps other than those already mentioned and they work under the direction
of the Area Welfare Officer They visit such persons in their own homes with
a view to assisting them to obtain from statutory or voluntary sources (or both)
facilities, appliances etc., which may benefit them. The help afforded may
for example enable the disabled person to take part in social activities, choral
classes dancing classes attend handcraft classes, obtain a needed holiday, or
by provision of ramps for mechanical chairs handrails, lifting hoists and the
like give a previously non existent measure of mobility to a person who was
chair bound or house bound Where the circumstances require it, adaptations to
houses including the provision of downstairs toilet facilities may be undertaken
During 1961 special adaptations were made to five houses in the Borough
tenanted by handicapped or elderly persons, Details of the work done are as
follows
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