JUVENILE CRIPPLES

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1934, Page 9

JUVENILE CRIPPLES

ROTARY CLUB WELFARE BCBKMB. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. Rotary dubs in conference at Wellington have decided to establish a Dominion Crippled Children’s Society with branches in every town which boasts a Rotary club. A draft constitution was submitted and approved, and branches will be set up as soon as the scheme is definitely shaped. The desire is to make the work a community effort rather than a Rotary one, but with Rotary interest and support. The question of the care of the crippled children of the Dominion has been brought prominently before the public by the report of the special committee of Rotary. The committee (Mr. T. C. List, Dr. Alex Gillies ad Mr. L. T. Watkins) has drawn up a report containing much information as to the number of crippled children in New Zealand and as to the nature of their disability. “The investigations and inquiries of the committee indicate that there are at present over 5000 crippled and deformed children in the Dominion, and that the number is being added to at the rate of over 500 per annum,” states the report “The three main causes are: (a) Tuberculosis of bones and joints; (b) infantile paralysis; and (c) accidents.

“These are not all badly crippled; some may be but slightly crippled. It is, however, important not to minimise the number . . . The survey made two years ago of cripples in school by the Director of Education showed that, in the inadequate returns there were in the State schools over 900 cripples, who were crippled comparatively badly. Roughly speaking, the standards were from I to VI, a rough average of 150 cripples in each standard throughout New Zealand.

"The hospitals in New Zealand are doing a fine work in the care of the physical side of the children,continues the report, “but there are occasions when parents living away from the centres were highly-specialised orthopaedic services are available cannot avail themselves of the specialised treatment “No child should be denied any treatment by reason of the inability of its parents to pay the expenses involved, and therefore the committee suggests that the society to be formed should establish a fund from which to meet such cases.’

“The work waiting to be done is something more than the alleviation or the cure of crippledom. It is the training and equipping of a, child to become an asset instead of a liability to the community. The aim should be to fit the child for a place in society; to give it hope and confidence in itself; to take it out of the depressing environment of self-pity in which it is so often surrounded, and to show that it has a part to play in the scheme of life. “It is obvious that when a crippled child has finished his elementary school education he is less fitted to cope with life and earn a living than if he were in possession of his normal faculties. “Often attention is centred on a defective limb of a child with a view to overcoming the handicap, instead of developing the other faculties the child might possess.” The report refers to the work being done in America, New South Wales, and in other places for the assistance of cripples.

COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATIONS

The decisions of the conference are in accordance with the recommendations of the special committee, which were as follow:— •

L" That the Rotary clubs of the fiftythird district should make the mental or psychological condition of the crippled children of the Dominion a major activity instead of, as now, a major sympathy. Accordingly, it suggests that steps be taken immediately by every Rotary club to form a branch in its community of a Crippled Children’s Society, to interest all sections (especially women’s organisations) interested in humanitarian work in its work, and generally to ensure the successful functioning of the society. 2. Such society to be responsible for the care of the crippled children within its sphere of influence. 3. That members of Rotary clubs be asked to personally employ 1a cripple wherever possible in their own businesses or branches.

4. That branches, of tire society ba supplied with such particulars as the committee possesses of the names and , - nature of the troubles of cripples in each district, these particulars to be supplemented from time to time by the reports which the Minister of Educa- ; tion has undertaken to make available. Besides, the branches should be asked to make an independent survey of the handicapped children within their area, and to help complete a register of the cripples. ! The committee recommended that toe society take measures to raise a fund of £2OOO for the carrying out of this important social and humanitarian! work.