BLIND WORKERS

Southland Times, Issue 25335, 11 April 1944, Page 3

BLIND WORKERS

CHANGES CAUSED BY WAR The remarkable changes caused by the war in the nature of the activities of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind at Parnell and the adaptability the blind workers had shown were commented upon by the chairman, Mr A. J. Hutchinson, at the annual meeting at Auckland. Basket-making, commercial net-making and seagrass, cane and other furniture-making had been almost completely replaced during the year ended March 31 by essential war contracts. According to the director, Mr J. E. Broadfoot, these contracts included the manufacture of ships’ fenders, hammocks, landing nets and special furniture. Sales amounted to approximately £27,000. For both the civilian and war-blind-ed population of the Dominion the present Government had been generous in its legislation, said the chairman. _ Its pension plan was good and additions to the standard basic pension of £l/12/6 a week were generous. A plan to provide special quarters for blinded returned soldiers was outlined by Mr Hutchinson. Arrangements had been made for one of the existing buildings to be taken over as a temporary home for such men, and the architect had been instructed to make a new building available as soon as possible. The trustees had considered it their duty to make arrangements for the training and accommodation of blinded soldiers. However, the returned men had signified, through representations to the Rehabilitation Board, that they preferred to receive their training with other disabled soldiers. The institute had accordingly provided them with material and special teachers. The fact that the institute library had sent out 5824 Braille and Moon volumes during the year and 13,876 talking book records was mentioned by the director. Valuable assistance had been given by the Wellington Braille Club, which had forwarded 32 books.