Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-17
FOR THE DISABLED.
Work for the Blind, Deaf, and the
Dumb Persons.
AVENUES OF EMPLOYMENT.
They Are In the Fortunate Class--No I'm
pcdiments 70 Success--suggestions
to Invalid Women.
Correspondence OF the Dispatch)


many more avenues OF employment open
TO those we are accustomed to pity most
the blind and the deaf and dumb-,hah
TO those who. by reason OF simple III
health, are unable to undertake regular
work.
"My pupils are not disabled. SAID 'he
superintendent OF the Institution lot 'ne
Improved Instruction for Dear Mu'es'
whom / interviewed in reference 10 TINS
subject. "They can enter upon any Occur
patton, can succeed in any pusihess'
Their success depends entirely upon their
brains
But surely" ] vcntured. there are
some employments in which their mis-
fortune is more or less Of hindrance
"None at all. he insisted. They are
BUYERS. accountants. engravers. litho-
eraphers. printers: one OF my pupils owns
large livery stable, out Of which he
has accumulated n handsome properly
They can make themselves UNDERSTOOD
many can speak. they can tel what
others are saying-where is the inpeoi-
ment TO success
His enthusiasm and belief in the mar
yellous results Of education for the dear
reminded me Of an interview | had n
few years since with Or. Campbell, OF the
Royal Normal College and Academy OF
Music for the Blind. in London.
Dr. Campbell is an American. lie re-
moved to ENGLAND because he found IL
easier to raise funds there for carrying
ont his ideas lie himself is bhnd anu
has been so since early manhood.
Il have always worked on the theory
that a blind man can do anything tilat
any other man can do, and you see 'he
result" he added. pointing 10 his sur
roundngs-onc Of the most splendldly ap-
poinied institutions i'm the world, wherc
blind children are taught % engage III
all the health-giving sports Of chilahoo''
and are trained to be self-suppor'ihf,
81 resolved that il Should make no diI-
ference IN the plans for my hle-"oiN'
said Henry Fawcett. the blind Posimas-
ter-Gcncral Of England, the moment
orto, ne realized that his oyesight was
destroyed. 100,
TO return TO the deaf. II is not posi-
llo ia train every deaf mute TO speak,
for in some the organs Tor lIo""S''''
articulate sounds are destroyer OF AZ
Together lacking. but the vast maJJi'''
can bc so trained. .
/. is generally known that the sense q
sirht is developed the more lulIE pS '."
sol Of deafness. and II therefore loi'''.
that emuluNmeuts which require kte'."VH'
al ey.sieht are particularly adapted lor
tle deaf. and that deaf children sHould
h, trained for them. such are cnsfnNih1
in all its branches. desiSninS' aI@o' "' ,'i'
way from plans which require an dIIhI.
tect's education down 10 drawings u,d'
must b. prepared for machiiisI VINO
has to replace the broken parts OF an
oapine. The various branches OF Hth"-
grauhv and commercial Photography oher
a wide field of labor for the DEAF. not Is
art pure ana simple denied.
\ deaf-mute has just carried oil honorS
a, the Paris salon, and those iaihiiidI
vim art will remember the American
landscape painter the late MI CdrIih' %
New York. who was deai-mute'
Matchmaking and the trade Of worklhS
iouelIor have always attracted the dear
for they are omployments remuneratiNe
b, reason of the technical skill demanded
Daaf-mutes have become successful
rrluters and compositors. In short any
mechanical pursuit which requires close
attention and Keen sight offers the posi-
b;lity of competence; therefore, Il dear
mute. strictly speaking, cannot be con
:lQercQ 'niSdbifi Nl4fH N'ii'4''' l'io '''7
opportunities of making living.
CHANCES FOR THE BLIND.
To trades which can be taught TO the
blind the most important addition in re-
cont wears is that Of pianO-tuning. re-
port Of Or Campbell says: Zach pupil
is REQUIRED to show by actual perform
ancc his mechanical skill in making eyes
sfringing. and ordinary light repairs such
as removing broken wrest-pins, repair
ing hammer-shanks. etc. besides being
able To use the tuning hammer and dam
Der in all varieties of tri-chord instru-
ments, including those which are over
strung.
Musicians know how rare it is to find
n good tuner. Any man who can es-
tablish himself as such. is sure of con-
slant. paying employment in any large
town.
II is not necessary to go into details
concerning blind musicians and what they
have accomplished. j have heard IL ar
gued that blind teacher has positive au-
yantages over one who can see.
Years ago. when Miss Frances Willard
was a little country girl in WISCONSIN,
eba and her sister were instructed on
the piano by a young blind man OF the
nejehborhood In London the other gay
Miss Willard recognized her ola teacher
in the person Of Or. Campbel at the
ROYAL Normal College. 1t is needless 10
say Dr. Campbell is a warm advocate vi
this business for the pima.
HOW A BLIND MAN LEARNED
TYPEWRITING.
Good possibilities were opened 10 the
Hind bv the invention of the typewriter
The manager of large typewriter hrm'
speaking of typewriting as Work ior tile
blind. said; o,a
machine TO a blind man, who said he had
tn catch a train at 8. and was not only
leaving the city, but the country. lie
asked me to give him the services OF an
expert to show him how TO operate, ana
TO explain the mechanical construction
of the machine. ! was aghast. but handed
him over 10 the best man in the once,
and they sat down to work. Before 4
he had turned out a letter containing
fewer mistakes than are often made by
my own stenographer who has had years
of experience. At he ordered the ma
chine boxed for shipment. He had mas
tered all its intricacies. L received
letter from him some months afterwards,
stating he had never had any trouble
with the instrument He had never at
tempted TO use a typewriter before he
entered my Office.
one Of the latest additions to occupa-
tons for the blind is massage.
ANY expert work which demands delcacy
of touch or taste, rather than sight. spe-
cially commends itself to the blind. Tea
tasting" / ain 10th 10 recommend because
of its terrible results, but there are other
articles Of food, butter and cheese, for
instance. where good buyer is essential:
and In chemists work the quality OF many
things has to be decided by smell. and the
devices to which resort is had indicate the
necessity OF exceptionally acute percep-
ton.
WORK FOR INVALIDS AND SHUT
ms.
II Is far more difficult TO discover en-
Payments possible to that class OF inva-
lids who could perform light sedentary
labor for some small portion OF the day.
For this purpose various hospitals haze
been visited, interviews obtained with ply
sicans and professional nurses.
The result Is not encouraging 10 shut
ms In general. Still some Of the sugges-
.tions made may show a way TO earn a
little money 10 those who had not
thought OF 1t for themselves.
There is an odd business done at many
English watering-places which brings in
pocket money for invalids. 1t is that of
utotu tn hA Vfot