Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12

FEDERAL BOARD OF VOCATIONAL
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE.
ness due to gassing, tuberculosis, and
other ills.
Almost every one of the men re-
ceives approximately $1,000 per annum
| from the government, and they Will
| continue to draw this amount, which
| represents compensation and insur-
| ance, as long as they live. This in
come has decided effect on the atti-
| tude of the average man toward voca-
| tional training. In many cases the
! hopes and ambitions of the men have
| been raised by the nationwide inter-
est in the war-blinded and the sin
cere efforts of those whose enthusiasm
was sometimes greater than their
| judgment to heights which would be
, impossible of attainment were the men
| possessed of full sight. This reaction
has confused and untitled for imme-
/ date adequate training a number OF
/ the charges of the federal board.
! One of the most important and fun
damental factors in the rehabilitation
| work which has been and is now being
vigorously pursued by the federal
| board lies in the community and home
| of the man. First-hand information
! is obtained concerning former en-
ployment, attitude of the mans fam
| lily possibility of returning to former
| employer, attitude of the community
! and opportunities for employment in
the community. Most of the men have
been previously visited in their homes
! by member Of the Staff of the super
visor for the blind or other workers
| for the blind. Every one of the men
| registered except two has been sur
veyed personally by an agent of the
| board. With one of these two contact
! has been established by letter. The
e. ri ,,I hint nf a lxy
| deaf and completely paralyzed.
! Valuable and effective work has
| been done in persuading men and
their families of the necessity of TAX
F, ing instruction for readjustment. This
! phase of the work has brought out
| the great Importance of thorough
preparation of the home and commu-
nifty to receive the man after training
| is completed.
lNIRITTEN q statements from en-
( ", ployers. offering employment to
, men upon the completion of their
training are on file.
| In one instance, an agent OF the
board was told by the mother of one
of the men that her son would never
be given vocational training. except
over her dead body. Four unsuc-
cessful attempts have aeen made to
convince the mother that she is doing
her son a great injustice. The father
Of one OF the men refuses to be con-
WINGED that his son should receive
training. MY boy will always have
enough money, and all he needs now
is a good wife"
! to go to a school for training. In
such instances 1t is the aim of the
federal board to find some one who
can give instruction in Braille, type
, writing and manual training, going
to the mans home, if possible. and
I at the same time demonstrate to the
family the possibilities of over
coming the handicap.
| The work Of the federal board in
the rehabilitation of the blind and
those with seriously defective eye
sight. may be summarized as follows:
of a personal visit of an experienced
worker for the blind to the home of
| the man.
i Adequate prevocationar and voca-
tional training. The final authority
in deciding upon and approving
courses rests with the federal. board
on the advice of the supervisor for
| the blind. Men have been enrolled
for courses at the Red Cross Institute
for the Blind primarily for prevoca-
tional training. Vocational training
Is approved at the Red Cross Insti-
September Is, 1920, there were
seventy seven men enrolled at the
Red Cross Institute, and twenty in
other schools and colleges Guides
and readers are furnished by the
board, if necessary. A few men with
the aid of a reader are taking cor
respondence course.
Suitable employment and placement
! training is obtained through an ex-
perienced worker for the blind. On
September Is there were thirty-one
men in training on the JOHN factory
training, 1; pamphlet binding, l; ad-
rninistration in factory. l; vulcan
/ izing, 4; wickerwork shop, 1; coal and
wood business, 1; storekeeping, 6;
poultry raising, 5; insurance sales
men, 1 drug business, l; reporter, 1;
dictaphone operating. l; mass MASSAGE. 4;
has, in practically every instance,
, started the men in their work. Some
of the men are furnished with paid
attendants or assistants to aid them
for a definite period in their work;
others have been furnished with all
particular business in which they are
engaged. All Of these men are visited
periodically by an agent of the board.
who submits written report on the
progress of. the case.
One man, totally blind, took a
course in poultry raising and has
established himself in this business
at his home in small town of about
500 inha bitants. He is totally blind
and has taught his Airdaie puppy
to lead him wherever he wishes to
go. He built his chicken house of
old lumber from a stable, which he
himself tore down. He has worked
out plans for keeping his poultry
records in Braille. and. with the aid
of the typewriter, will be able to
carry on all correspondence himself.
When visited early in September he
pointed with pride to a fourishing
garden, which he himself planted, and
to some potatoes which he had dug.
He also built the fire in the fireplace
without help. Such assistance as he
needs Is furnished by his wife. who
is eager to make him as self-reliant
as possible.
Another case is that of a young
man who enlisted early in the war
and lost the sight of both eyes in
action at Chateau Thierry. THIS was
terrible blow to him, because he
had always been active physically
and much interested in all branches
Of athletics. He decided upon his
return to the United States to study
massage, and completed his course
in December, 1919. From the first