New Britain herald., 1928-03-22
SUNSHINE DRIVE
 FOR BLIND BABIES
Canonlcus Branch to Raise SS0,0O0 Endowment Fund

~ 1eoSH f4f,VuV IS llle pTOD-
 lem facing Miss Lillian NJ. Russell,
 superintendent of the Connecticut
 Nursery for the Blind at Hartford.
 How to help Miss Russell perform
 this mathematical marvel is what the
 'anonicus branch of the Internation-
 al Sunshine society would like-to do.
 Have you ever seen the nursery
 for the blind at Pennington ?" ouer-
 led Mrs. George w. corbin. tn
 Fortunately. mo-" replied the Herald
 representative. Well. jump in my car and I'll drive you over."
 Thus a. reporter found himself
 whisked over the concrete road 10
 the Institution in Pennington, fla
 mlllarly known as "The Blind Babies Eomc." Mrs. Corhn, besides being state Sunshine president. is president of Canonicus branch, the New Brit ain branch.
 'Tthe visitors found themselves in . frame building. which must at one tune have served as 8 private home It was cozy, comfortable and chcer- full but not preteptious. There was nothing elaborate about the home, but rather an impression that efforts are bclnS made 10 make cVCry dollar do about s".aS worth of work
 The presumption proved correct when Miss Russell was asked about her finances. Although the nursery accepts babies within a few weeks after birth and keeps them until they are Is years old, no state ap- rropriation is received until they are able to attend school. Then if for any reason the child is unable to att tend school the per capita appro- priation stops for that child. The state figures each blind child to be worth just s45o a year. This al~ lows for clothing, food, shelter, med icine. doctor and education. School books of especial manufacture, cost ing 10 times the cost of a book 1 printed in ordinary type are includ- cd in this figure. There are r chill dron in the nursery at the present | time, of which 1 are in school. Thus | the state pays s4.95o, while it be ! comes necessary for tho officials Of | the institution to raise enough moro | to bring the total up to s14.000, the | minimum operating figure.
 One thing for which the instit,l- | tion has no use is sympathy. If one | wishes to wear out his or her wei ] come all he needs to do is to drop in | and begin 10 waste tears of misplac- | ed sympathy on the poor little blind | babies"
 One of the big problems In train ogy. according 10 Miss Russell "We ind the child who can see a. little. ls handicapped more than the child that is totally blind" she says. The child who is totally blind is given much voluntary help in life by the average person, she eNpalncd, while the child with some sight, defective though it may be. gets little help. people assuming that 1t Is perfectly able to look after itself the same as a normal child.
 Because of their inf'rmities, blind children usually are about o5 per cent under par physically and ment- ally. Miss Russell adds. The mem tal lack Is not due to a lower in telligence ratio but to the fact that g blind child necessarily learns more slowly than one who can sec. For instance Miss Russell explains. child who can see has q. cat pointed out. Some one says This is a. cat Thus the child knows 1t is g. cat, A blind child must have the cat brought in, and must carefully eX- anime the animal so as to know N hat a cat really is. This some times takes almost 8. half hour to learn what the normal child learns In a flash.
 The daily program at the nursery differs little from that of the child at home. except that children are taught to be more self-reliant. The rogram includes meals. school, re- creation and household duties. Re ,rcation includes outdoor games swinging and many games which usually are thought to belong only to those who can sec.
 Household duties are allotted ac- rording to the ability of the child. Blind children can be seen working it certain hours during the day. helpins prepare the food in the >itchen. peeiug vegetables. setting able. sweeping, carrying coal in small buckets. making beds, and do- ng other small jobs depending upon heir strength and physical ability.
 The general utility man is a for, ner student at this school. who later 2 as graduated from other institu- ions for the blind. Still q young nan in his early POS. he does the 'loc'rical and carpenter work. tunes md repairs the pianos. waXos floors md does all sorts of odd jobs
 Miss Russell is a graduate of tho Perkins school for the blind al Natertown, Mass. Miss Everard is ! graduate of the New Haven Nor nal school of gymnology.
 Our whole problem" explains Miss Russell. is ono of finances. If