Evening star., 1949-05-18
The Blind Who Have Enough Vision
To Get Around" Still Need Help

To Get Around" Still Need Help
To tn. Editor of The Star:
In the May IL issue OF The Star there is
news item telling Of q father OF twelve, who
was blinded when a ball struck his good eye.
This is the most misleading honey and pie"
story that have ever read. One Is led 70
+ believe that the lot Of this man is going to be
better IN some ways because he has lost his
sight The item says: His employer said
there would be job waiting for Mr. Dove II
he can come back to work" What an ironic
statement to make Of totally blinded man
who will never be able to come back to the
type Of work he has always done as man
who could see 1t generally is impossible for
a man of so to learn all over again as blind
man. AS totally blind man he will be helped
by all his relatives and friends as much as
possible and he will be placed on permanent
relief.
The item says the doctors said they have
hopes Of restoring some of the sight in the
left eye to give him at least enough vision
to get around" Suppose this is possibility
and It is accomplished; Mr.. Dove will start
back to his old job. his sympathizers will feel
happy for him. and he will feel like he Is
ready to do the impossible. But he will hnd
that he does not have enough vision to work
at his old Job. Other work will be tried ana
he will fail because he cannot see we'll enough.
He will try to to get back onto relief Some OF
his neighbors will call him lazy. His friends
will tell him he does not try hard enough.
No one will sympathiZe with him because he
has enough vision to get around" HIS
friends will shower him with ten cent store
glasses. They will know that II he gets the
proper glasses he will be able to see normally.
He will be pushed around from one agency
to another to see II there is some work he
can handle. He will ride the street cars and
buses but he won't be able to see the desti-
nation signs and when he asks the operator
where the vehicle is going he will be
answered with: Whats the matter. can't
you read?"
He can't even beg on the street corners
because he will be just a blind man who has
enough vision to get around. He will try
selling trinkets from house to house as
blind man but he will be accused Of operat-
ing a racket because he has enough vision
to get around.
We have several Of these blind men in our
organization who have had all Of these
experiences and still are having them. They
are discredited in every way because they
are blind men who have enough vision to
get around II our men were totally blind.
this would not occur. Some Of our men have
held high positions in the business and social
world No doubt they have been forced
down to the position of house to house sales
man because they had enough vision to get
around.
am disabled veteran of World War II.
and am the founder OF this work for these
blind men. have never received one penny
of support from any one TO aid me. ] have
sacrificed and have forced my family TO
sacrifice in order to carry out this work.
Sometimes I feel like quitting. but then
remember the problems Of the blind man
who has enough vision to get around, and
I look for the people can turn him over
to and find none. I offer a little prayer:
Lord help me to carry on. and forgive me
for ever thinking of turning my back on
the blind men who have been forsaken be-
cause they had enough vision to get around"
HOMER c. WHITING.
Manager, National Workshops for the
Blind Products. a Sales Service for Blind
Statesmen.