Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-14
MRS. ISABEL w. KENNEDY

THE advantage of having the "blind teach
i the blind" in respect to the great field
Of reading is emphasized by Mrs. Isabel W.
Kennedy, secretary. of the PennSylvania
Home Teaching Society and Free Circulat-
ing Library for the Blind.
Mrs. Kennedy in telling of the work OF
the society in bringing worth while litera-
turc, both modern and classics, within the
reach of the thousands of blind people, De
clarcs they have found that in teaching the
blind the various systems, such as Braille
and Moon, 1t is distinct advantage to have
the teacher herself blind, both from the re-
suits obtained and because such teachers are
almost invariably, faithful to the last degree.
the sole representative in America of the
National Institute for the Blind in England,
with which is affiliated st. Dunstan's Home
for the Blind, headed by Sir Arthur, Pear.
having been founded by DR.. William Moon.
For sixteen years it had its headquarters at
the Bible House, led by the late John
Rhoads. In 1903 it was rcorganized by
Robert Moon, son Of the founder.
Like Regular Alphabet
''The Moon type of embossing literature
for. the blind. which can hardly be eX-
pained without examples, differs, generally
speaking, from the Braille type Of letters in
that it closer resembles the regular alphabet.
For this reason ii is preferable for adults
who have lost their sight late in life and
VINO 10 not ike TO learn something so en-
tirely foreign and strange as presented by
the Braille figures, which, however, can well
be taught to children.
For example, the A of the Moon type is
nothing but, the regular A with the cross
line removed. The o, C, V, l., ] and u
are identical with the regular alphabet and
other letters bear close resemblance to the
letters of the alphabet The Brailc system
Is one of number of dots bearing little or
no relationship to letters and therefore
harder for the adult to learn.
1T is nm unfortunate thing there are so
many kinds Of alphabets for the blind, in
Guiding such types as the American Braille,
line letter, European Braile, New York
point and revised Braille. The blind often
complain at having to learn 80 many types
If they desire to have access to all the litera-
ture that has been published for them. How
fine it would be, then, if there were only one
great universal type that all blind people
knew, and which would open up for them
every piece of literature published for those
without sight.
'"The character of the books which are
contained In our library, and we obtain them
from publishers of all the different types. is
varied Fiction predominates, but we also
have in circulation great many books on
travel, biography the war, poetry and
drama. Recent titles which we ordered from
the Noon Company, in England include
dinal's Snutfbox' and new volumes from the
works of Bret Hartc. Frank Stockton, Kip
ling, Stevenson, Dickens and Mark Twain.
Many Volumes Needed
when one realizes that an ordinary
length novel printed in Moon necessitates
from two to four volumes it is easy to see
how many volumes we must have. In fact,
in 1910, included in our two libraries, one in
Philadelpha and one In Pittsburgh, we had
80, 1875 books, and in 1920, although the
figures have not been announced yet, we had
more. more tina than , 1900: II PHILADELPHIA the
Pittsburgh they are connected with the Car
negie Library.
'ln connection with the volumes which
we circulate among the blind of the state it
is interesting to note that, despite what has
been said on the subject, books dealing with
blind people, even those in very sympa :
| thetic. vein, such as THE Lady of the Light
house and others, are not popular among
| the blind themselves, who do not seem to like
! or to be inspired but rather to be discour-
aged by reading or hearing about those for
| tunate blind people who are able to do all
sorts Of miraculous things which they, prob
| ably, can never do.
"This, then, is the character of our Ii
| brary; and then there is the great field of
| teaching the blind Of PENNSYLVANIA SO thew
| can enjoy this large stock of books which
we are aple to put at their disposal. We
have teachers in every county OF the state.
| who are paid by us, but who in turn give
lessons without charge to the blind. We OBJ
tain lists Of the blind in the first place from
| the census lst' hlthouBh as yet we have re -
| ceiyed no data from the last census, and thon
through our teachers, who hear of new blind
people as they give lessons TO their resula,
| pupils.
| Teachers Need Guides
| "One of our greatest difficulties is the nro
viding of guides for these teachers, who must
20 around through the country and into The
cities in all sorts of poor and dangerous dis.
trcts, among all sorts Of people. Inform
| nately, we cannot always be sure 10 ~,
teachers can get guide in a particula,
place at a particular time. / should like n
see the day when our teachers would be en- .