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Home Teaching- Visiting and Advisory Service
1968 1969
Total number of visits made to blind and partially-
sighted persons during:- 1439 1646
Lessons given in Braille, Moon or Craft-work 409 351
The fortnightly Handicraft Class held at Highfield Hall, Carshalton was well
attended and undoubtedly fills a great need. More transport service would
enable greater numbers of housebound blind to attend,.
Wireless for the Blind Fund
The department acts as agents for this Fund and 30 new radio sets were distributed
in 1968 and a further 30 in 1969.
General Welfare of the Blind
There are 150 Talking Book Machines on rental to blind persons throughout the
Borough and of this number 43 rentals of £3 per annum are met by the Health
and Family Services Committee on behalf of blind people in receipt of social
security allowance. In addition to this service a grant is made to the
National Library for the Blind in respect of 23 blind readers who regularly
obtain books in Braille or Moon from this source»
Holidays for the Blind
A small party of six blind persons joined the group holiday to Hayling Island
in both 1968 and 1969: similar arrangements are in hand for 1970.
Sutton Association for the Blind
This Association continues to give every assistance to the department in the
matter of blind welfare. An amount of £400 was spent by them during 1968 on
such items as holidays grants, Christmas presents, grants towards house
decoration etc. In 1969 this amount was increased to £562, Many aids such
as white sticks, writing frames, radio batteries to mention but a few were
purchased by the Association and distributed to blind persons by this department.
I would like to take the opportunity of expressing my most sincere
thanks for the Association's good work in the field of blind welfare* In
addition to its many grants to blind persons the Association donated the sum
of £100 to the Low Visual Aid Centre which was opened in 1969 at Sutton General
Hospital„
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