The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-04-14
PLANS
In Behalf Of The
Blind
National Conference To Con-
slider Means
OF Preventing Increase OF
The Helpless


blind, is the estimate of experts. A
national movement for the prevention
of blindness is to be started at the ma
tional conference of educators of the
blind and members of state commits
sions for the blind to be held in Wash
ington April 1913, the first national
gathering ever had for the exclusive
consideration of problems in caring for
the sightless.
The Ohio commission for the blind
suggested holding the conference, and
the standing Of the commissions of
this state Is shown In the prompt ac-
ceptance Of invitations to participate
by the commissions of other states.
Senator Gore, the blind man elo.
quent of Oklahoma, is to preside a,
the sessions and President Wilson,
who as governor of New Jersey took
practical interest in the work for the
blind in that state, is to receive the
delegates at the White House.
Sanford Kirkpatrick, member of
Congress from Alabama, will welcome
the delegates. A brief statement will
be made by Edward M. Van Cleve, SUI
perintendent of the Ohio State School
for the Blind and president of the Ohio
commission for the blind One of the
most important addresses on the pro-
gram will be made by Olin II. Burritt
superintendent of the Pennsylvania
Institution for the blind, who is to
speak upon What the National Gov
ernment Is Doing for the Blind and
What More II Ought to Do" DR.. c. f..
Fraser, the remarkable blind superin.
tendent Of the Halifax School for the
Blind, is to give a brief account of
What Canada Is Doing for Its Blind. 4"
Another notable blind man, II. Ran
dolph Latimer, principal of the Mary
land School for the Blind, is to give a
brief account of "The Efforts That Are
Being Made to Secure a Uniform Sys.
tenn of Tactile Print for the Use Of
the Blind of the English Speaking
World NJ. c.. Nigel of New York
chairman of the committee which is
raising money to carry on the investi.
CATION to secure one system of reading
for the blind of this country is to re.
port upon the success of this move.
ment
The program of this public meeting
Is to be concluded with a lantern slide
Survey of Recent Work for the Blind
in the United States,' by Charles F.. f.
Campbell, executive secretary of the
Ohio commission for the blind. Mr..
Campbell is the son of Sir Francis
Campbell. the Tennessee blind man,
who was knighted by Edward VII for
his services to the blind in Great
Britain. The lantern slides which Mr.
Campbell is to use have been collected
for presentation to the international
! conference OF workers for the blind,
which is to meet in London next June.
The education OF blind children in
America was begun in 1880 and has
been developed with wonderful sue.
cess to the present date Strange as
it may seem, however, statewide or.
ganlzed efforts to be of service to
those who lose their sight when too
old to go to schools for blind youth.
without enrolling them In these
schools, did not become operative un.
| III this century Despite much pub
iicity within recent years, 1t is not yet
generally known that nearly rs per
cent OF those who are blind lost their
sight after 20 years of age. This
means that the problem OF helping the
blind is much more largely one of aid.
ing adults than of training blind
children. In spite of this, millions
have been spent in America for the
erection and maintenance OF magnia.
cent educational plants for the small
minority who become blind in youth
I Another topic which will command
most earnest attention on the part OF
nj workers for the blind VIII be a
consideration of the efforts which are
being made to help the blind who lose
their sight too late to enter schools
To provide employment for the adult
blind and to prevent unnecessary
blindness is the rwo-fold function OF
state commissions and associations
Tor the blind and the consideration ot
the difficult problems connected with
such work Is the chief reason that
prompted the Ohio state commission
for the blind to suggest TO commits
sions and organizations in other states
TO come together in Washington foi
this the first conference devoted ex
clusively to the problems of workers
r,. th.o hIfnJ