The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-02-27
Work Done For Blind
On The Eastern Shore

You know, of course, all about the
splendid work that is done for the
blind children of Maryland through
its school; you know something of the
work that is done for adult blind per-
sons in the Maryland Workshop for
the Blind.
But have you heard how the adult
blind who may be reached in their
own homes fare in this State of ours
Did you know that week after week
in Baltimore and the surrounding
counties blind persons who have been
useless driftwood in the course of the
workaday world are being sought out
and taught to take their places in the
onward march of industry? And that
even at this moment a survey is car
ried on through the Eastern Shore to
discover the adult blind who hitherto,
in that part of the State, have been
left to stumble along as best they
might in useless dependence.
This work on the Eastern Shore is
carried on under the direction of Miss
Virginia Kelly, teacher in charge of
Home Instruction of the Adult Blind
in Maryland. The teaching on the
Eastern Shore is done by Miss Cavan-
augh, sister of Mr.. John Cavanaugh,
of Elkton.
"Miss Cavanaugh is very remark
able. She is totally blind herself and
was trained in the Maryland School
for the Blind. Yet she covers all of
this territory absolutely unaided, trav-
cling by train and automobile bus from
Salisbury to Cambridge, to Easton, to
st. Michaels, to Princess Anne, and
back again to Salisbury. And you can
have no idea of some of the problems
that worker among the blind must
face.
There, for example, is a pair of we'll
TODD intelligent parents outside of
Cambridge who have blind son. l
remember meeting him years ago
when he was quite child and using
every means to persuade his parents
to send him to the schoo! for the
blind. But they would not. They
have allowed him to grow up in ignor-
ance and torturing idleness until to-
day his mind is dull and slow. Not
so slow but that he is pitifully eager
to come for instruction to Miss Cav
annaugh's class, held through the
courtesy of Miss Balmers, the district
nurse in Cambridge, in the nurses
office on Tuesday of each week. Yet
incredible as it seems, those parents
are too selfish to hitch up their horses
and drive that poor boy to town once
week. 1t is too far into the country
for Miss Cavannaugh to reach him
now during her stay in Cambridge,
without neg,ectng her other II pup
lis, but when her class is advanced
further she is going to find means to
reach him in his own home.
One of the biggest results of the
survey that is being conducted on the
Eastern Shore is that it is going to
lead to the inspection of schools. Miss
Kelly has been promised the co-opera-
ton of the Maryland Society for the
Prevention of Blindness, of the Medi-
cal and Chrurgicai Faculty and of
the Henry Watson Children's Aid So
ciety, which will soon have nurses and
a social worker on the Eastern Shore
to inaugurate the school inspection
and follow the cases Of defective sight
into the homes.
The rather new compulsory educa-
ton law for the blind will send these
children with defective sight to the
School for the Blind This in itself is
one of the most important factors in
prevention of blindness, for numbers
of children with defective sight who
would eventually go blind if they
continued to use their eyes through
their school life are educated at the
School for the Blind without so much
as using their eyes, and go through
the world as seeing persons.
GLOW much longer will it be before
the survey is completed?" Miss Kelly
repeated thoughtfully. owe are plan
ming to take up Caroline, Kent and
Cecil counties next. Whether we will
finish them or not who can say? The
work is dependent upon private sub
scription. 1t was interrupted before
and it may be interrupted again by
having the money give out. But after
all while there's a heart along with a
little spare change in a pocketbook
there's always hope"
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