Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-01-04
Blind To Be Aided Under
NeW Social Security Act
State Must Comply With echnicaltes of Federal Act;
Rehabilitation Is Keynot of Endeavor; Other
States Are Procee ding With Work

I and re-adjusted, and during this slow
and difficult period, the necessities of
life cannot be obtained by the efforts
of the individual:
5. Many rural blind in North Caro-
| lima live in isolated communities
where their families are tenant far
mers and where there are no ecOnO-
mic opportunities for persons so handi
capped. A small relief allowance is
necessary to buy clothing and other
| necessities which must be furnished
in addition to food which cannot be
secured from the farm;
6. When a blind person has been
| trained and established in a business,
he often needs a small grant to aid
him for the first four or six months,
because the profits for the first pc
riod must go back into the business
to build up a good stock. He can then
be self-supporting.
Rehabilitation Is keynote.
! In considering legislation to comply
with the Social Security Act, it is
very important that plan of coop
! Grafton with the Federal government
| NC WOlnCO O0C WlIACH WILL SLIcuSLIl0u
rather than weaken the incentive of
of the blind to avail themselves of the
facilities for education, sight restora-
ton, training and employment now
provided by North Carolina. It has
been the policy in this State to stress
rehabilitation and prevention of blind
ness, and very excellent results have
been accomplished along these lines
by the State Commission for the Blind
For example, during the past year, Is
adult blind have. been trained with
State funds in the five workshops and
two industrial centers which have
been established or equipped by the
Commission. 10 blind students are re-
ceiving aid in universities and colleges
and some home teaching has been
done. 10Y persons have been placed in
employment. The Commission also
furnishes equipment or materials to
iclind persons to enable them to be-
come self-supporting. 1873 operations
have been performed to improve or re-
store vision and 772 examined at eye
clinics held by the State Commission
for the Blind, 420 of which were re-
fracted Legislation for compliance
with the Federal Act can be so draft
ed as to strengthen this very impor-
tant work for the blind which is now
being carried on in the State, and at
the same time take care of the blind
in need of direct relief grants
Administration of Relief.
The Federal Act wisely provides
that single state agency must ad-
| minister or supervise the expenditure
of funds. The State Commission for
| the Blind is the only State agency
whose entire attention activity are
devoted solely to the problems of the
blind and if the Commission admin
listers relief funds, these can be used
for maintenance while the person is
carrying out plan of rehabilitation
and becoming self-supporting Relief
can be administered by the Commits
sion more economically than on a Sc
| parate basis because the Commission
has pertinent information in it's files
about the blind, and sends it's teach
| ers and agents into the homes to
teach Braille, industrial work, etc.
The Commission knows about cases
| of progressive blindness and secures
a medical report which is required
by the Social Security Poard for di-
rect relief cases. Ais, the Hind per-
son, because of his difficulty in get
| ting about, needs one central agency
| to correlate for him medical services,
vocational training, education, relief,
employment, etc.
Experience in Other States.
1t has been the experience of other
states that relief administered apart
from rehabilitation program is de-
| trimental to the individuals ambi-
ton for self-report. For example, in
the twenty-six states now participant
| ing in Federal Aid to the Blind, it has
been found that in these states where
relief is not administered by n Com
mission for the Blind and is separate
! from the rehabilitation program,
! there are approximately three times
as many blind On relief as in those
states where relief and rehabilitation
are administered Ey the same agency
Reports of the Social Security Board
! show that New Jersey has the lowest
per capita cost for blind receiving re-
| lief grants. Here, the funds are ad-
mjnistered at great saving to the
, State by the Commission for the Blind
in connection with it's rehabilitation
program. Since the records of the
Commission indicate that 1853 blind
persons registered are in need of re-
lief, it is well to compare this num-
Der, which is less than One-third OF
the blind population in North Caro-
lima, with those receiving relief in
| other states. According to reports of
the Social Security Board, of the
twenty-six states now receiving Fed
eral funds, six of these are giving
relief to approximately one-half OF
their blind population; one state, to
| two-thirds; and another state, to
seven-eighths of the total blind popu
J lation. In five of the remaining states,