The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1915-12-23
INTERESTING INFORMATION
ABOUT THE BLIND


Mrs. Jennie Caward Jackson OF
Denver. state teacher of the adult
blind, is at present stopping at the
home of Mrs Empey, COZ River steret.
Mrs. Jackson is a regularly commits
stoned official of Colorado and visits
the various counties of the state for
the purpose of making the acquaint-
ance OF the blind and teaching them
to read, make hammocks, do crochet
! ing and such other work as Ii Is pos--
sible for the sightless to perform. Mrs.
Jackson who is herself blind. is en-
ployed under the supervision of the
state board of education and is con
nected with the office OF the superin
tendent of public instruction.
In the course OF conversation
with Mrs. Jackson this morning some
interesting facts were learned in rels.
tion to her work and TO the blind. with
whom she has been associated as an
instructor for more than four years.
The state legislature in bi-annual ses-
sion in the winter of 1901 enacted
Law at the instance of the women's
clubs OF Denver. providing for the edu-
cation OF the adult blind of Colorado.
for which nothing had previously been
done. The state school for the deaf
and blind only admitted those who
were under twenty-one years Of age.
leaving those who were older uncared
for SO far as the public was concern.
edS The enactment of the statute al
luded to placed them under the super
intendent OF the public Instruction and
/ carried with 1t an appropriation for
their education.
1 AS Mrs. jackson had been instru.
entAl in securing the passage OF the
law BY the legislature and was admir-
ably qualified for the position the
women's clubs OF the state endorsed
her application for appointment as in.
st-uctor for the adult blind OF colora-
do; a task she entered upon in August
1911. and has continued ever since.
Although much OF her time is devoted
to the instruction OF tlS blind in. Den.
yer. occasional opportunity is AFFORD
ed her to make excursions out into
the state TO look up the sightless and
e:.dcavor TO interest them in educa-
;ional matters. and It was on one OF
these trips that she came TO Canon
, City few days ago.
\ Mrs. Jackson says she does not
know exactly how many blind there
are In Colorado. but. predicated on the
AZ fra ~ ~
she estimates their number at rather
more than eight hundred. The ratio
Of the blind TO those who have full
I usc OF their eyes In the United Statea
at large Il approximately one TO every
thousand. Four-nfths OF the blind In
Colorado lost their sight after they
), were t~eniyone years OF age. In
the country at large two thirds OF
the blind lost their sight after they
were twenty-one years OF age. The
higher percentage In Colorado is due.
according to Mrs. Jackson, to accI-
dents In mines and to a greater ner-
vousness. caused by the altitude.
There are less than a hundred blind
people In Colorado under twentyone
lycars Of age; thirty-sk OF whom
are in the state institution for the
blind at Colorado Springs
i Mrs. jackson says many of the blind
arc very quick to learn to read and
that many OF them become skIiiful
; In making hammocks. In crocheting
various kinds OF uesfui articles. Such
work affords entertaining employment,
and is often the means OF preventing
detection and despondency. Mrs.
Jackson is deeply interested in her
work and takes pleasure in helping the
unfortunate wherever she can. Her
services MS an instructor are free 10
the adult blin throughout the state
and II she can be OF any help to them
che is pleased TO do So Mrs. Jack.
son says there are about a dozen or
fifteen adult blind in Fremont coun.
ty.