Evening star., 1939-02-17
More Aid for Blind
In District Urged.
In Lewis Report
Investigator Asks
Security Act Changes
For Rehabilitation

Amendment of the Social Security
Act to remove the limitation of SIS
on the amount Of grants-in- the
United States may make to the
needy blind on the matching money
basis with local Jurisdictions was
proposed by Burdette G. Lewis, Dis
trlct relief investigator. in a section
of his report released last night.
Mr.. Lewis protested that the pres
ent District program, as co-ordinat-
ed with the Federal social security
program, lacked plans for proper
rehabilitation and social service for
the blind. and otherwise needed i'm
provement.
He included among 16 specific
proposals a suggestion that efforts
be made to remove all blind persons,
not in need of institutional care,
from the Home for Aged and Infirm
at Blue Plains and '"to assist in
establishing normal community lives
for them
There are 81 of the more than
600 aged at the Blue Plains institu-
ton who are classified as totally
blind and II as partially blind.
Officials there said 80 per cent of
the population suffers from eye
ailments.
Would Curb Aims Solicitation.
Mr.. Lewis also urged that "active
steps" should be taken to prevent
solicitation of aims and street-selling
by blind "mendicants." The Public
Assistance Division should discon-
tinue the practice of supplementing
earnings from these sources with
assistance grants.
AS to the Federal act, Mr.. Lewis
stated:
THE aid-to- the blind section of
the Federal Social Security Act
makes no provisions for the train
ing, medical care. employment,
home training and other social
services to the blind, but is designed
solely to provide money payments
for the INDECENT blind. The avail
ability of Federal funds on match
ing basis has spurred States to in
augurate assistance programs on
behalf of the blind, but the relief
aspects of the Federal act have
stultifIed the expansion into service
fields.
"Past experiences in the field of
work for the blind have proved con-
clusively that ultimate benefits result
from a constructive service program
and the leadership of the Social Sc
curity Board in sponsoring such
programs would be of inestimable
value. Material inducements could
be provided by granting financial
reimbursements to the States on a
matching basis for local funds ex-
pended in service programs"
Average Grant $26.35.
According to the February report
of the Public Assistance Division,
the average monthly grant to the
needy blind was $26.35. District
officials reported today that 81 of the
blind, or about Is per cent of the
total, received more than $50 a
month. The highest payment was
$45 a month.
Among the specific recommended
tions of Mr. Lewis were the follow
ing:
That a consultative unit for the
blind, consisting of consultant, two
Junior social workers and one stenog-
rapher, be established to provide
casework services for grant recipients
and blind persons ineligible for
financial assistance for requiring
social services;
That the Board of Public Welfare
and the District Vocational Rehabil-
itation Service shall jointly sponsor
the present w. P. A. rehabilitation
project so that a program of avoca-
tional training, partially rehabili-
tative in nature, might enlarge the
restricted scope of the Vocational
Rehabilitation Service;
That complete ophthalmological
examinations should be provided all
present and future recipients of
blind grants:
That a law be enacted requiring
legally responsible relatives to sup
port blind dependents in proportion
to their means;
That food budgets be revised to
conform with a standard budget
applicable to all recipients of public
assistance;
That all cases of fraud be prose-
cuted
Uppertendom was word once
common for the upper or aristo-
cratic class.