Mew Name Mooted For Crippled Children Soc.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32308, 28 May 1970, Page 9

Mew Name Mooted For Crippled Children Soc.

A suggestion that the Crippled Children Society should change its name to the ! Rehabilitation Society was made at the annual meeting of the Canterbury and West Coast branch of the society in Christchurch. In a letter received by the meeting. Miss J. Hartridge said that for many years as both a member of the society and an active worker she had found the title “crippled” negative and implying hopelessness. She said she was aware that the term rehabilitationj icould be argued against, because many of the children registered had congenital; defects. The families, the community and the children all. however, needed readjustment to live with a disability. Similar societies throughout the world had already faced this problem and most had changed their titles. Mr A. B. Mackenzie said that the society should not be tied down to the name “rehabilitation.” Ip view of in-1 creasing co-operation between the Crippled Children Society and other societies

for the handicapped, a possible name might be the Society for Sick Children. The president of the branch (Professor H. E. Field) said that the question of a change of name had been considered more than once by the national council. The meeting agreed to his suggestion that the recommendation be referred to the branch's general committee for investigation. There was no suggestion that "rehabilitation” was the only name to be considered, he said.