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Show Handicapped Made Self -Supportinplappy Through Work in Industries for Blind Sightless Can Make Many Things, Such as Sheets, Belts, Mops By AL JEDLICKA Releaaed by Western Newspaper Union, On September 8, 1942, the Illinois Industries for the Blind, incorporated four months earlier as a non-profit organization, opened opera- cases where such Institutions are . partly financed by private contributions, contribu-tions, like the Illinois Industries, they are not expected to sell their goods below the market price, although al-though they can sell above it. Employment for 125. A visit to the Illinois Industries for the Blind plant in Chicago at once impresses one with the capability of the 125 blind, partially blind and crippled employees. At one time, the factory had a peak employment of 230 people, many of whom have since gone to accept positions in various war industries. On all three of the floors, one will find the handicapped busily engaged en-gaged in different forms of work suited to their capacities, with the blind chiefly employed on jobs where some form of mechanical guides are provided, the partially blind on ob taining her partial sight on the work. . , Because the blind could not inspect the finished goods and the bright glare of the white material cou d not be withstood by the partially blind, full-sighted people are employed em-ployed for this work. Since undertaking government work, the Illinois Industries for the Blind has delivered over 2,000.000 sheets and pillow cases to the serv-ices. serv-ices. Make Wooden Mats. Up on the fourth floor of the plant, one sees a cripple and the blind combine to produce colored wooden mats under the supervision of a partially par-tially blind foreman, Gerard Harolr" Canadian born and English educated, edu-cated, who once ran a coffee importing im-porting business in Africa. Cut to size by a cripple, the wood- Jects large enough for their limited sight, and the crippled on tasks not requiring complete freedom of movement. move-ment. On the second floor, one sees the blind engaged in folding paper caps for permanent wave outfits, and in assembling wooden doll sets. tions in an old four -story structure at 1310 South Newberry New-berry St., on Chicago's historic his-toric east side. Established by Edward S. Molineaux, the institution was designed to provide regular employment for the blind, partially blind and crippled, rather than the usual devices for passing away time or meriting mer-iting a dole. By May 1, 1943 nine months after having been opened the success of the Illinois Industries for the Blind was confirmed when the United States maritime commission com-mission awarded the plant an "M" pennant for outstanding production of sheets and pillow pil-low cases for Liberty ships, the first ever given to an institution in-stitution of this nature. Six months later, the maritime commission added to the honors hon-ors with the presentation of a gold star, for bettering the Jects large enough for their limited ' mym, rrrow-m - ri sight, and the crippled on tasks not jTTS j? L M requiring complete freedom of move- 'SIlrMfe Lj . & ment. tk On the second floor, one sees the LiVt . W blind engaged in folding paper caps 2 C fTw SL,' i for permanent wave outfits, and in y& J ?Vt r assembling wooden doll sets. lMSM J I previous production and absentee ab-sentee record. The enviable performance of the Illinois Industries for the Blind merely established Mr. Molineaux's long-time conviction con-viction on the capabilities of the blind, partially blind and crippled crip-pled if properly encouraged. Partially Par-tially blind himself, Mr. Molineaux's conclusions probably were inspired by his own experience of over 25 years, dating back to his education at Illinois' Jacksonville State School for the Blind, and his subsequent life work among the sightless. i ''i nmr nil anmii m l en rods forming the skeleton of the mat through which the different colored col-ored pieces are strung, are drilled by a blind person, who possesses a remarkable mechanical touch, ac-cording ac-cording to Mr. Harold. Because of this touch, Harold said, the blind man can sense any imperfection in j the operation of the machine, and then go about correcting it. The mats themselves are strung by the blind, who figure how many pieces go into each one, and thereby are able to judge just where the ; colored beads are to be placed, i Trained in three or four weeks, a Leaving Jacksonville, Mr. Molineaux Molin-eaux took up the task of placing blind switchboard operators in Illinois, Illi-nois, and then he went to the east, where he joined the Brooklyn Association As-sociation for Improving Conditions for the Poor. Over 100 years old, this institution specializes in the assistance assist-ance of the blind and crippled. Eight Institutions In U. S. Among those in the forefront of the work to restore the blind, partially par-tially blind and crippled to useful positions in society. Mr. Molineaux On the third floor about 40 women turn out sheets and pillow cases at good speed, despite their handicap. After two months of training, a woman wom-an can put scams in about 66 dozen pillow cases a day. The hemmers, who must have 10 per cent or better vision, can finish about 90 dozen cases dally. An "electric eye," shown below, protects the operators from Injury by stopping the sewing machine when fingers get too close to the needle nee-dle and interrupt the beam of light Trained in three or four weeks, a blind person can average about 40 mats daily. Also on the fourth floor is the leather department, worked by crippled crip-pled and blind. Using discarded leather scraps from shoe factories, the crippled punch out fancy strips, while the blind make holes, as for the insertion of elastic bands for suspenders. Also on the fourth floor, the plant had received old looms, which it was contemplating setting up for the future production of yarn for mops, using handles produced by the Illinois Illi-nois Industries, Mattoon, 111., broom factory. In the office of the plant, one met Ethel Heeren, blind executive secretary, sec-retary, and Earl Barrett, partially blind general manager. One also met partially blind Wells Mori, active ac-tive little public relations officer of has seen the idea take a slow but sure hold throughout the U. S., where eight such institutions now operate, op-erate, some under state supervision, others, like the one in Illinois, under un-der private management aided by popular contributions. The restoration of the sightless and disabled to useful citizenry received re-ceived its greatest impetus in 1936, when congress passed legislation setting set-ting up a list of products for the government to purchase from blind workshops. To facilitate the program, pro-gram, the American Foundation for the Blind inspired the organization of the National Industries for the Blind, to act as a clearing house for contracts to the various blind workshops. In passing the legislation, congress set up certain production standards to be met by the blind plants, and in that must shine constantly while the machine is running. Those proficient in folding paper caps can turn out as many as 986 a day and average around $5.50 for eight hours' work. There is not so much skill required in cap making, as there is a familiarity, or feel, of the paper. Turning from the paper cap folders, fold-ers, one comes to a long assembly line of blind filling little cardboard boxes with parts of wooden dolls, and then packing these along with containers holding different water colors into single sets. Holes in the body of the wooden dolls into which the head, arms and legs are inserted in-serted are drilled ty blind on me- chanical equipment up on the fourth floor of .the plant. Ten workers can assemble about 1,000 sets a day. Sheets and Pillow Cases. the plant. Earn $25 a Week. From Mori, one learned that ambitious am-bitious employees of the plant average av-erage about $25 weekly, which with their useful work, gives them position posi-tion in society. "Younger handicapped people coming to us who are broken in early into useful social occupations, develop de-velop a healthier point of view than the older people who have always more or less been felt to be a burden," bur-den," Mori said. "Sometimes, the most diffirnit One of the most interesting and Important of the plant's operations is on the third floor, where blind and partially blind women produce sheets and pillow cases. Under a full-sighted supervisor, 40 impaired women keep the latest type sewing machines with necessary adjustments ad-justments buzzing at top speed. First, there are the women who put seams into the pillow cases, being be-ing able to turn out about 66 dozen daily, after two months of training. Machines are equipped with a "seeing "see-ing eye," which stops their operation opera-tion when the workers' fingers stray too close to the needle. Then there are the hemmers, with partially blind with at least 10 per cent vision being preferred for this more exacting work of turning the problem is inculcating the work habit into some of the older people," Mori continued. "Laxity in coming down on time, or sometimes not at all, and of not producing at their capacity are shortcomings of many handicapped people which can only be ironed out by careful handling, since you cannot push them. "We do not take all of the handicapped, handi-capped, of course," Mori continued, "but most of those that we do take develop the work habit and become proficient workers. "Because of differences in aptitudes apti-tudes and the need for stimulating their efforts, workers are paid on a piece-work basis," Mori said. "But even though their production rates are high, they still usually fall below the sighted standards. In those t - ' V Sl'i i material over, smoothing and then securing it. After six months' training, train-ing, a good hemmer averages 90 dozen doz-en a day, but a blind person could produce only half of this. At the time the plant was visited, a young woman was being broken into the overlocking process of over-stitching over-stitching on the outside to give better bet-ter strength and appearance. Time and again, she practiced guiding the material to the needle, patiently cases, our products must ell at higher levels on the market." As an indication of the skill and earning power of many of the Illi-nois Illi-nois Industries for the Blind employees, em-ployees, some have been hired by the nation's busy war plants to assist in the battle of production, while a goodly number were only too proud to take their place in line and pay Uncle Sam an income tax for the first time out of their wages. Blind John Dent has learned te punch, assemble and rivet small leather goods, such as belts and suspenders. |