The Washington times., 1914-03-30

While this article should not be
Interpreted In the light Of a protest.
1t does seem strange to Washing-
tonians who have knowledge of. or
who are interested In. educational
matters in the District Of Columbia,
that in the Nations Capital there II
absolutely no provision made for the
education of blind children.
While the city is paying approx
mately three million. dollars an
nually for the education Of children
in the public schools. 1t would seem
as though some small portion Of this
money might he used to render 1t
unnecessary for the parents Of q
blind child, either boy or girl. to be
forced to make their choice between
hiring q private tutor or to virtually
admit they are paupers.
Object Of Society.
This. or the alternative Of permit
ting the child to grow to manhood
or womanhood minus an education II
what confronts the parents of every
blind child born in Washington. and
to remedy this condition IL what the
Washington Sunshine and Com
munity Society Is working to accom-
plish.
There are many parents In Wash
ington who cannot afford to send
their blind children away to an in
stitution to be educated. yet who
have a justifiable delicacy In ad-
mitting they are paupers. Yet In
order to have their afflicted child
admitted to the nearest educational
institution for the blind. which ID
situated in Baltimore. they are re-
ouired to take what Is known as
the "pauper's OATH" admitting that
they are unable to pay for its educa-
At tho present time. according to
the latest census, there are twenty
two blind children, between tne
ages Of four and sixteen years, IN
the District of Columbia, and an
almost equal number Of children
under this age. Nineteen Of the
children are being educated by the
District Of Columbia, or partly edu-
Gated in the aMryiand Institution
for the Blind, while one blind child,
Little Evelyn, whose sad case was
brought to the attention OF Inc
Times readers last simmer. and for
whom an educational fund was col
lected, is q pupil at the Arthur
School for the Blind, at summit.
n. J.. a ward of the District Sun
shine and Community Society.
Fund For Indigents.
While no specific provision has
been made in Washington for the
education Of the blind, a fund Of
5000 has been set aside by Con-
gress for the education Of INDECENT
children. on the basis of $50 for
each child. It has been my earnest
desire, desire that Is echoed by
the society Of which am the head.
stricken out Of this act. and the
disposition Of the funds be made dis
cretionary within certain limits. 80
that they could be used, not only
for INDECENT children. which includes
INDECENT blind children. but for the
education Of other blind children
who do not now come under the pro-
Already in Washington there is
what Is known as an atyps'cal
school for children who are back
ward, or not quite normal. and
there seems no logical reason why
at least one school for the blind
should not be established. Those
affairs in the District can readily
see that the condition OF blind chill
dren is truly deplorable. For one
hundredth part OF the money that
Is spent In this city for education
al purposes. provision could be
be made for a school for the blind,
as a branch Of the school system of
the District, so tnat every blind
child would be given an opportuni-
ty to learn, without being sent
away to another city. separated
from its parents. and with the
possible stigma of the word
"pauper" attached.
Should Make Provision.
Surely it seems to me some pro-
vision should be made to let a little
light into these little minds so un-
fortunately clouded. The time Is past
when sightlessness was considered
an infallible sign Of lack of intelii-
gence. Modern science has made il
DC ssible to educate the blind in many
different branches. Physical dark
ness is no longer mental darkness.
and such remarkable strides have
been made in the education of the
Blind. that in many cases. pupils so
afflicted have manifested themselves
,hilAran hlaccad