Evening star., 1939-01-17
Handicapped Child
Committee Gets
First-Hand Data
D. c. School Body Ready
To Weigh Merits Of
Capitalization

Back in Washington today after
visit to Baltimore's $l,100,000
schools for handicapped children.
the Board of Education's Advisory
Committee on Handicapped Chill
dren was ready to weigh the merits
of assembling all handicapped chill
dren under one roof for purposes of
education.
First Asst. Supt. Robert L. Hay
cock explained there are two theories
on education of handicapped youth
to assemble them all in one school
as in Baltimore or have them taught
at different places as is currently
being done in Washington.
In Baltimore the committee, which
included members of the School
Board, school officers, representa-
tives of the Health Department and
representatives of civic groups, OBJ
served that the Baer School houses
crippled children. cardiac children,
deaf and hard of hearing children.
children with defective vision and
speech and children who have been
exposed to tuberculosis.
Equipment Centralized.
At this one point is centralized all
the modern equipment needed to
care for these types, including So
larium, swimming pool. open-air
classes, cot for the fatigued. sight
saving equipment. special floors and
other equipment for the deaf as we'll
as clinical facilities for medical
treatment. In addition to these are
the gymnasium and recreation IA
cilities as well as those for instruc-
ton purposes.
The school for colored children
provides Identical facilities, the COM
mittee found, with the exception
that classes are provided for the
mentally deficient as well.
In Washington the crippled chill
dren are taught at one school, the
Langdon or the Bowen, according
to race; the white deaf at the Co.
lumbia Institution for the Deaf, and
the colored at the Maryland School
for the Deaf at Overlea; the blind
at Overlea. and open-air classes are
held elsewhere in the school as are
classes for defective vision.
(Which of the methods is the
better is one of the problems I
think the committee will have to
consider" declared Mrs. Henry Grat-
tan Doyle, president of the board
and chairman of the committee.
Committee members were also
impressed with the extra-curricular
activities of the children, which in
cluded Boy and Girl Scout troops
and the presentation of an annual
operetta in which the dancing was
done by the deaf children.
Buses Are Chartered.
The committee was told by Miss
Elsie Salisbury principal of the
Baer School, that transportation is
provided by buses chartered for the
purpose. She said the nine buses
cost the school board $1,000 year
per bus. In addition there are two
buses serving the colored school at
the same cost.
The city is divided into districts
from which the buses bring the
children entitled to transportation.
These include all crippled children
and some of the very young deaf
and defective vision pupils. Pupils
living at distant points are aided by
policemen to points where they
could be picked up by buses. The
committee members were impressed
with this procedure.
That's one brand new idea we
brought back with u.s." said Mrs.
Doyle. She added that the Sub
committee on Cripple Children,
headed by Charles w. Pimper,
probably would go into the matter
Of transportation costs thoroughly.