The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-16

OS ANA4s LILO Va W G1Oll
only person with both those handi-
caps to attend college since Helen
Keller graduated from Radcliffe in
1904.
But while he is the subject Of
a poignant experiment and his
amazing record suggests such
overworked words as courage
ous' and inspiring" his poiss
and matter-of-fact manner belle
their use.
Il don't regard myself as any
thing special he says.
Bob is a good student, 18th in
the freshman class OF 1923 at St.
Johns university. He wrestles in
intercollegiate competition against
normally equipped atheletes.. He
sWims, rides horseback, writes
poetry d admits being rather
stubborn" about insisting on brown
in his choice OF clothes.
Spinal meningitis robbed him OF
his 6 h t when he was five in
PITTSBURGH, the o of a steel
worker. At the same time he be,
gan to lose his hearing. 1t was
gone completely at IL years.
The day we saw him, at the
Industrial Home for the Blind in
Brooklyn, he wore a brown shirt,
brown tie. brown handkerchief.
Why this preference?
"One of the few occasions in
which can remember seeing" he
said, was the first time l looked
in the mirror. 1 climbed up on the
blue chair in the kitchen and look
ed into the shaving mirror.
Il was wearing a brown suit and
it satisfied me and the satisfaction
seemed to continue"
Bob is blond, thin, and pale.
When speaking, he tits his head
up and smiles slightly. Considering
that he hasn't heard himself talk
for at least nine years, his speech
is remarkably good.
Anxious about his diction, he
tends to bite his words. His choice
OF. language is somewhat formal
because braille and the manual
forms of > communication have
little DON for slang or colloqui-
allisms.
Bob's education is an expert
ment sponsored jointly by the
home, st. Johns University and
Perkins Institution for the Blind in
WatertoWn, Mass, where he got
his high school education. The
American Foundation for the
Blind added to these efforts this
month by awarding him a 81, 900
scholarship.
The purpose is not merely to ed
ucate one deaf-blind boy but to
study and simplify the difficulties
o attending normal classes for
others who may follow him.
During the interview, Bob con-
stantly held the hand of his guide
and companion in school, 17-year-
old John Spainer, who has normal
vision and hearing and blushingly
admits he has a hard time keep
ing up with his friend in school
Questions e r transmitted
manually through John, his fin
gers beating out the message on
Bob's palm. Whenever there was
a lull in the conversation and
Johns fingers remained idle for
more than a minute. the deaf
blind boy would urgently tap out
a query wanting to know what was
going on.
Like many another handicapped
person continually concerned with
achieving independence, Bob has a
horror of being left out of things,
of getting news late. AS a fearful
example, he cited the case OF a
deaf-blind woman he knows who
learned about the end of the war
three days after the event.
Someone, l presume, neglected
to tell her." he said.
Both Bob Smithdas and John
Spainer are taking the same
courses at St. Johns, intending to
get B.A. degrees and go into social
work in behalf of the deaf-blind.
John got the idea since his associ.
alton with Bob began last summer.
In class, John takes notes with
his right hand and translates the
lecture at the same time to Bob
with his left hand. In the after
noon, they go home together and
John types out the notes On a
braille typewriter.
If you want an idea of the size
of this job, remember that one
small abridged dictionary translat.
ed into Braille requires 80 vol
umes, each thicker than an en-
cyclopedia volume.
Bob started r e sitting three
years ago, winning more matches
than he lost. He is entered in the
155-lb. class, of t h e forthcoming
state and national A. A. U. cham
pionships, representing both St.
Johns and a VEGA.
He likes the sport because of the
activity and physical training it
affords" His sense OF balance is
remarkably good.
THE only time l feel at a dis
advantage" he said, lis at the
start of a match, until the oppo-
nent touches me, until l know the
of his attack"
Generally, he does not think of
himself as handicapped Except
circumstances force that realiz-
alton on me-" Gettine news lie
does it. So doe renr ne aid in
getting from place to place.
Unexpectedly. Bob likes to