Evening star., 1963-01-27
LONG SERVED HANDICAPPED
HEW Names Woman
Rehabilitation Chief
BY MYRA MACPHERSON
Star Staff Writer


Boston Irish. Warmth, tough
ness honesty and a shrewd
ability to battle for what she
wants are apparent in her
decisive manner.
She would have Jared we'll as
the lawyer she once wanted to
be or the writer she may still
become. And tomorrow Miss
Switzer, at 50, will be named to
a position that in reality she
has held for more than a dec
ade - Commissioner of Health,
Education and Welfare's Voca-
tional Rehabilitation depart
ment.
Tilting her chair precariously
on its two back legs she said
the new title Of Commissioner
pleases her because 1t indicates
the Importance the Govern
ment is placing on her depart
ment.
I'VE feel rehabilitated in
dividuals have the right to work
instead of to beg. While we
don't bat a thousand, neverthe-
less we feel an individual is en-
titled to his place in the sun
somehow"
Miss Switzer, a Democrat,
said two years ago that the Re-
publicans had done more for
the handicapped. Budget in
creases and other Kennedy
support (the Presidents sister,
Mrs. Sargent Shriver, has
worked often with Miss Switzer
in helping the mentally retard-
ed has changed her thinking.
Last Year Greatest
when first took this Job
In so we had a $23 million
fund. The total appropriation
for '63 was Sl02 million. We
are trying for $131 million in
next years budget. And last
year was our greatest year.
More than 100000 handicapped
were put to work"
While the figures rattle out
as If from an IBM machine,
Miss Switzer accompanies them
with stories that show she wor-
rieS about the handicapped as
individuals.
II feel very deeply about the
great loads Of dependents on
relief. We have a great eco
nomic argument for our work
and that is what it will cost
the Government if we don't re-
habilitate. OF the people reha-
bilitated last year, 1880 were
off welfare.
"We started a resident house
In April of 81 to teach welfare
cases how to live in a decent
atmosphere; to learn the things
we take for granted. Many are
third generation reliefers and
yet they responded to the pro-
gram. Out of 119 women, 81
are now on paying Jobs"
Lost to World
Miss Switzer's department
works with countless areas of
people lost to the world
through handicaps - the blind,
the deaf, the amputee, the men,
tally i'll and retarded, the cere-
bral palsy victim. She speaks
warmly about the successes, no
matter how small. The man
with cerebral palsy who through
an operation was able to hold
down a job and do the one
thing he wanted to most in the
world - to sail a boat; the
mentally retarded boy in De-
troit who used to pick up stray
dogs and care for them.
"The understanding peo pie
who worked out there got him
a job working in the Detroit
Humane Society and he's doing
beautifully"
Miss Switzer's work has
branched out to Europe. II just
returned from Israel where they
are doing marvellous things for
the blind. In contrast to the
United States, many of the
blind in Israel are under 80.
They are eager to work. They
are being trained in a great
variety of occupations, even
working in the knitting factor
les.
Projects in Israel, India,
Burma, Brazil and Yugoslavia,
for example, are supported by
the sale Of American surpluses
abroad. The money is only in
the currency Of the country and
must be spent there"
Praise From President
Miss Switzer has been in the
Government since 1922 and her
hard work has brought her
praise from Presidents, many
awards and honorary degrees.
Her route to her present Job
was circuitous.
Two things were crucial in