“TOUCH” LANGUAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25214, 1 May 1943, Page 6

“TOUCH” LANGUAGE

AID TO A.I.F. MAN (Air Mail) SYDNEY, Apl. 27. A 19-years-old A.I.F. private, Norman Wilkinson, of New South Wales, who became blind and deaf from scrub typhus while on overseas service, had the Anzac Day march in Sydney described to him in “ finger tbuch ” language. Wilkinson was in one of several cars occupied by blinded soldiers, who led the procession. He was given a rousing reception by the crowd of 250,000 who lined the streets. After' Wilkinson, who enlisted at the age of 16 and went overseas, contracted scrub typhus, blindness and deafness developed. Although he could talk normally, no one was able to communicate with him in any way for three months and a-half. Then the War Blinded Welfare Committee heard of his case, and its representative, Mr Roy Kippax, began to teach him deaf and dumb sign language by touch. Mr Kippax drew letters of the alphabet on the palm of Wilkinson’s hand; then made him understand their equivalent in sign language. Within three days of beginning tuition Mr Kippax had his first finger touch conversation with his pupil, and was the first person to tell him that he was in Sydney. Mr Kippax also taught touch language to a doctor, three nurses, and two Bed Cross officials, so that they could converse with Wilkinson. He was taught to tell the time by a Braille watch and to play dominoes by using Braille pieces with the spots lifted instead of being depressed. Wilkinson’s mother is also learning touch language, so that she can converse with him.