[Report 1963] / Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Wight County Council.

  • Isle of Wight (England). County Council. n 83204987.
Date:
1963
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1963] / Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Wight County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Home or Workshop Employment: Basket workers ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 male Boot repairers ... ... ... ... ... ... ] male Braille copyists ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 male Weavers and knitters ... ... ... ... ... 1 female Mat makers (Workshops, Portsmouth) ... ... 1 male Home 11 orkers Scheme. During the year the Council augmented the earnings of two blind persons under this scheme. One of these was a shop-keeper and the other was employed as a Braille copyist by the National Library for the Blind. Placement Service. \\ ith effect from the 1st October, 1963, the Ministry of Labour accepted responsibility for the placing of blind persons in employment, and the Placement Service which had been run by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, and in which the County Council had participated, there- fore ceased with effect from the same date. All problems relating to the employment of blind persons are now dealt with by the Ministry of Labour, who have appointed a Blind Persons Resettlement Officer for this purpose. Close co-operation exists between this officer and the officers of the Department. Handicrafts Classes. Handicrafts classes have been held twice a week in the Unitarian Hall, Newport, and once a week at the British Red Cross Society’s premises in Ryde. During the year, work was commenced on the erection of a new handicrafts and social centre for blind persons on land adjacent to the Blind Home at Newport, the Isle of Wight Society for the Blind being entirely responsible for the erection, equipment and maintenance of the building. By the end of the year this was almost ready for occupation and plans were under way for classes to commence there early in 1964. General Social Welfare. All registered blind people are visited regularly, and Braille, Moon and handicrafts are taught. Twelve blind people and five sighted guides were given a fortnight’s holiday either in residential or private accommodation during 1963. Monetary gifts, fuel, food, clothing, fire guards, white sticks, raised line notepaper, writing frames, games, talking books, wireless sets and handicapped persons’ cookers were provided for those in need. Christmas vouchers of £2 2s. and birthday vouchers of /(I Is. were given to all registered blind and partially sighted persons. Sub- scriptions to the National Library for the Blind were paid for 16 readers. Ophthalmia Neonatorum. One case of this disease was notified during the year. Blind Persons with other disabilities. During the year a total of 50 persons (18 men and 32 women) were known to be suffering from other disabilities, and these can be classified as follows :—