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Show TORD WAR PLANT JOBS TAKE INHANDICAPPED About 10 percent of the men employed em-ployed in the River Rouge plant of the Ford Motor Company are handicapped in some manner. 687 are sightless. Some have lost their eyes, some can only distinguish dis-tinguish between light and darkness; dark-ness; a few can see motion if it occurs between them and light. However, only two of these lost their vision because of accidents in the Ford plant. In addition there are 66 who are deaf and dumb; 42 partially incapacitated inca-pacitated because of infantile paralysis, par-alysis, am3 112 who suffer from epilepsy. Eighty of these have but one arm; there is one who has no arms; '223 have one arm crippled; 12 have had both arms amputated; 91 have had one leg cut off; 36 have one leg badly crippled; 31 have lost use of some parts of their bodies because of spine frac-or frac-or have sDine curvatures and 101 have organic heart ailments. ail-ments. Altogether 11,652 men, in various var-ious stages of disability are receiving receiv-ing full pay. The blind men, for example, receive from 95 cents to $1.15 an hour. None of these is regarded, or has reason to regard himself, as receiving any favor. The Ford Motor Company has it distinctly understood that this is neither charity nor altruistic humanitar-ianism. humanitar-ianism. Each one of these workers is expected to give and does give full value for his wages. The assistance that the Ford personnel department rendered in these cases was to determine which job could be filled best by persons lacking the use of some of their normal physical abilities. Blind men, for example, are used in fitting parts together and passing pass-ing them along a line into boxes where they are carried to departments depart-ments for insertion into motors. This is only one of the things they do. Anything where touch and practice prac-tice are the major factors to be considered and where no dangerous machinery is present is suited to sightless men, according to the Ford policy. The company alone is not responsible re-sponsible for the success of the sightless men. Their fellow-work- ers are highly co-operative. When any handicapped person, especially one who is blind, is hired by the company, a canvass is made to learn whether there are other employees em-ployees of the company living in his neighborhood. If there are, these are asked to assist in providing provid-ing transportation to and from the plant. If there are no such employes who are neighbors, at least one in that vicinity is engaged and asked to use his car. Enthusiastic cooperation co-operation always has been received. re-ceived. Today there are more than 100 completely deaf-mutes in the River Riv-er Rouge. These are used in departments de-partments where danger is slight, since they are incapable of hearing hear-ing warnings, bells, shouts or signals. sig-nals. Prior to the war effort there was 71. It is notable, the company points out, that there never has been any difficulty with any deaf worker and none ever has been involved in-volved in an accident. |