PARTLY-BLINDED SERVICEMEN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 23 June 1943, Page 5

PARTLY-BLINDED SERVICEMEN.

REVIEW OF PENSION POLICY Wellington, This Day. When a serviceman is partially blinded to the extent that he is unable to pursue his previous occupation and unable to compete in other spheres of sighted employment, his scope of opportunity and selection of occupation are narrowed down, almost to that of a totally blinded man. Such a condition is now defined as “commercial blindness.” In assessing war pensions claims from men who are so disabled, the War Pensions Board takes into account the degree of vision for determining thg degree of disability, but the degree of vision at which a person may become “commercially blind” has not been defined. It is the opinion of the executive of the N.Z.R.S.A, that commercially blind servicemen should be entitled to a war pension at a similar rate to that paid to a totally blind serviceman. In making representations to the War Pensions Board on this matter, the R.S.A. contended that though a man in this category may be able to distinguish light from dark and be abel to find his way about without an attendant, his disablement not only prevents him from continuing his pre-war employment, but entails the same handicap as the totally blind man in his home life. The N.Z.R.S.A. has now been advised by the Secretary for War Pensions that the board has decided to review its policy in respect of pensions for blind servicemen and has for this purpose adopted a definition of industrial blindness in which future claims will be decided. Each claim will be considered on its own merits, but the board has undertaken to give careful review to an* case referred to it by the association .—P.A.