Blind Institute

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 121, 23 May 1940, Page 5

Blind Institute

SOCIAL GATHERING A social afternoon, organised by Airs. ; D. Watson, in aid of the Institute for j the Blind, was held in the Business I Girls' Club on Monday. Chrysanthemums, roses and stylosa decorated the room. i The programme opened with community singing led by Mrs. H. Prince, j Mrs. W. 11. Boon being at the piano; unaccompanied songs were rendered by Joseph Williamson, monologues by Mrs. H. H. Spencer, and songs by Miss Freda Doherty, Mr. J. Brown, Miss M. O’Brien, tfco accompanist being Mrs. Prince.

Miss M. Cranston read the annual report of the institute, and Mr. E. W. Simmons, institute organiser, for the district, gave a short talk. He said that the institute was the only form of insurance against blindness in New Zealand. A blind child could not be trained by ordinary educational methods, excellent as they were. It really needed the blind to teach the blind. It cost according to statistics approximately £IOOO to bring a child to the age of beginning to earn its own living and it must of necessity cost more to educate a blind child. At the institute a child was taught to look after itself; it was taught arithmetic and to read Braille, and, most important, to swim. Institute children became particularly bright at mental arithmetic. Some institute pupils had even taken 8.A., M.A. and LL.B. degrees, which was a tremendous accomplishment. A great advance made recently was the opening of the home for elderly blind ladies, which was well worth a visit. Throughout New Zealand there were 1200 blind people. Unfortunately, the majority of cases occurred between the ages of 20 and 40, and that meant that the patient was usually the breadwinner. The institute endeavoured to find homes for the families of these people in Auck land while they were training. A probleb they were now faced with was the increase of cases which would result from the war. Accommodation was already taxed, and though the institute was confident of overcoming the problem, the speaker appealed for any help his hearers could give. Recitations were given by Coralie Blenkhorne and anecdotes related by Miss Cranston.

Mrs. Watson thanked those who had attended, and Mr. Simmons, on behaif of the institute, thanked Mrs. Watson for organising the social. A sum in the vicinity of £4 10s was raised.