Evening star., 1942-11-08
New Opportunities
For the Blind
Bv Frederic J. Haskin.

It is a sad commentary on an enlight-
ened and organized society that often II
takes the impact Of war to bring about
a condition so employment may be had
bv certain unfortunate people. This fact
is strikingly illustrated by an announce
ment of the American Foundation Tor
the Blind that approximately 100000
American citizens who lack sight are
being very definitely benefited by tho
war effort. The acute shortage OF labor
in many instances has caused employers
to add sightless workers to their staf1s,
which In normal times they would have
been unwilling to do.
The results have been no surprise to
those familiar with the achievements OF
blind workers. They have proved them-
selves competent workmen, and as
result both of wartime labor conditions
and of their own adequacy these citizens
without sight now find themselves en-
gagged in variety Of occupations which
range from farming and poultry raising
in rural areas, through skilled assembly,
line Jobs in factory towns, to telephone
switchboard and stenographic positions
in the large cities.
The war has given these thousands OF
blind citizens the one thing which peace
time conditions denied them, namely,
opportunity of employment. One OF the
hardest and most discouraging things
which blind people have to face has been
the fact that even when highly skilled
and trained they have been denied the
opportunity for the most part, to take
their places in competitive trades and
| professions. Today, however, wartime
necessity has opened doors for them TO
a variety of occupations, many OF which
contribute directly to the Nations war
effort.
Some of these sightless workers are
inspecting shells, job in which their
highly developed sense of touch enables
them to detect and discard those having
imperfections of manufacture. This
same sense of touch has made blind
people valuable in splitting and sorting
mica for use as electrical condensers IN
radio and other signaling apparatus.
In Texas airplane factory blind work.
ers sit side by side on what is known
as the burr bench, detecting and smooth
ing away rough spots left on metal
parts by the machines.
In peacetime employers were hesitant
in many instances about employing
blind workers because they were in
credulous that these men and women
could travel between home and business
and find their way about working prem
ises without accident Their wartime
experiences, however, show that such
routine presents no hazard to compe-
tent blind persons. True, many workers
must employ guides to accompany them
to and from their places OF work, but
that is a problem with which the en-
.ployer need not concern himself. Many
blind workers, however, travel alone
from home to factory, and all have
shown that after day or two in their
new surroundings the business OF f1nd-
ing their way about presents no DIM
culties whatever. So far, statistics OBJ
,tainable from factories where blind peo-
pie are being employed indicate that
the incidence of accident among blind
workers is notably less than that among
their sighted fellows. The probable ex-
planation is that blind people have OF
necessity disciplined themselves to move
with care and precision, training that
stands them in valuable stead during
their hours of employment.
Many employers have reported con-
cerning their blind employees that not
only are they proving their ability to
equal, and even in some cases surpass,
the production of their co-workers with
sight, but that they are making a
definite, if unconscious, contribution to
morale. The very presence Of these
cheerful, assiduous men and women
working among them, despite their seri-
Gus handicap, seems to stimulate the
sighted workers to greater effort and
better spirit.
Some 5000 blind men and women are
directly employed in filling orders for the
Army and Navy. These are workers in
what are known as sheltered shops which
were set up by local agencies in various
parts of the country long before the
war emergency. The Wagner-ODay
Act, passed by Congress in 1888, directs
that all Federal departments purchase
. for certain of their requirements goods
made by blind workers. With this act
on the statute books, the American
Foundation for the Blind established at
its headquarters in New York City a
non-profit marketing agency known as
National Industries for the Blind, to act
in a liason capacity between the pur-
chasing agents of the Federal depart
ments and the various sheltered shops
| equipped to fill Federal orders for GER
, tain commodities. During the first year
, of operation, Government business al.
located to blind workers amounted tc
, upward of 100000. The next year
with national defense to the fore, activity
in the 54 workshops in rs State.
! affiliated with National Industries In.
: creased to such an extent that some o.
, them found it necessary to work over,
, time turning out pillowcases, decl
, swabs mattresses and khaki trousers fol
Uncle Sam.
This increase in Government business
brought about resulting increase ii
the number Of blind people which tn,
workshops have been able to employ
In fact, since the heightened tempo O
war effort, some 600 blind men ane
women who hitherto had been deniet
the opportunity to earn q livelihood