Foundation for Blind and Braille Week

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 15

Foundation for Blind and Braille Week

(By

ARTHUR LUSH)

This is Braille Week, and the chief collections are made on Saturday, July 29. This gives you an opportunity to do something far more rewarding than spending money on any lottery.

In nearly all cases lottery tickets are valueless, and however much money you spend on them, you get little or nothing in return. Whatever you give for Braille Week can give far more happiness, both to you and to others. Most people are bom with an inheritance worth far more to them than the Largest lottery prize — the gift of normal eyesight. In New Zealand, one person in a little over 800 lacks this gift, which you are probably lucky enough to possess. The Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind does all it can in care, and prevention of, blindness, and receives all those recommended by the medical professions concerned. It is for the eye specialist to state his opinion that your eyesight (whether little or none) is so limited as to justify your enrolment with the foundation. You can then call at the foundation office and you will find yourself among friends, who will make you just as welcome whatever your age or circumstances. A door-opener It has been said in times of slump that when one door closes another opens. It was not always easy to find that opening door, but when eye

trouble closes the door on most of your former activities and interests, you will find that the foundation is the best possible door-opener. Fortunately, blindness does not affect mental ability, and so interests can often be carried on though perhaps in modified forms, or within certain limits.

Some blind people achieve things that seem almost in credible. One often hears of poor blind Homer, and after more than 2000 years his work is still widely respected and his stories told over and over again on the radio, as well as in classrooms.

In recent years “Travelling Blind” and another book by the same author, tell the story of a young man who lost his sight suddenly, and not only earned his living and in ways you would think almost impossible to a blind man, but also undertook research into conditions in some parts of Africa where the incidence of blindness was as much as one in three of the population. Thanks to his work the cause of the trouble was found and dealt with.

Here in New Zealand we have had many people who were blind and of outstanding ability. I will mention only one, who had no memory of ever having had any eyesight at all.

He came from Dunedin to the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, as it was then named, and had his early teaching there. He then came on to Prince Albert College, Queen Street, Auckland, where he was the only blind pupil. Later, he attended Auckland University College. During both these periods he had a long walk to and from his classes, most of the distance along roads which had no footpaths. He took his M.A. degree; he became a clergyman, and also an outstanding organist, as well as a good pianist, and a fairly good singer. He married and had one daughter. It was a sad loss to New Zealand that he did not live beyond middle age, but his life was a fine example, and so much of what he achieved up to his university days was to the credit of what is now the Foundation for the Blind.

I have seen something of this work in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, and have been impressed with the unfailing kindness of all concerned in it, and have also found really important positions filled by people who were themselves blind. Increasing demands Now that Braille Week is here again, I hope that people will remember that the work of the foundation increases with increasing population, and also its need for money must increase with the rising costs of living, and the need for keeping services up to date. For instance the talking books library provides an extremely valuable service, which it would be hard to over-estimate. Many of the talking book machines are, however, of an obsolete type, heavy and clumsy compared to the new ones. The old cassettes weighed 71b each compared with 12oz for the new ones. The change, however, costs about $2OO for each talking book machine, together with a few cassettes, and a small allowance for maintenance.

With a reading public in thousands, no apology is needed for this library’s increased financial needs. In fact, the whole organisation needs and deserves the most liberal contributions you can give to it, and perhaps you could leave it something in your will as well.