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Show UR GES AH) FOR ' BUMF UTAH Supt. Driggs Writes to Governor on Need of Work in State Frank M. irii?ps. Buperlntendenl ofi th Utah School for IIih Deaf anil Blind here, .has snt a letter tj Gov-' Gov-' rnor Mu bey, nrRin' bi-tter organization organiza-tion of uiiil co-operation between arl-ons arl-ons agencies worklnc n the Interests ( of the blind Mr Drlssa asks for an appropriation of $j500 to carry on Ihe workshop for tli" blind from July 1, 1S23. to June 1. !J?T). Jt Is my opinion." says the super- ' jintendent, "that the beat Inleiests of the adult blind of the stat.- will be served If some of the agencies now ex- istlng could be unifiPd. I recommend I that the state board of education l:" nninorica n legislative acuon 10 assume as-sume th- duties of the commission for the adult blind and through them the director of vocational rehabilitation rehabilita-tion supervise the affairs of the workshop work-shop for the blind and the work of tho traveling teacher for the blind "I also recommend that an appropriation appro-priation of luo'.io be made to carry on the workshop for the blind from July 1 1!'23. to June 30. 1925. 1 recommend recom-mend that an appropriation of $6000 be made for the salary and traveling expenses of the traveling teacher of the blind, so that he may be empio; ed full lime for this Important work. This would mean $12S per month salary, I and $125 per month for traveling expenses." ex-penses." Mr DrlggS shows that government reports Indicate there are approximately approxi-mately 250 blind in T'tan. of whom about 30 are less than 20 years old. 100 between 2u an1 en years of age, and 120 more than 60 years of age. lie enumerates six agencies now at work In the state toe better the conditions Of slghtbss peoplue. These are the Utah School for the Ueaf and Blind at Ogdn, a public boarding srhool for the blind between 6 and t yearn of age. In which Ihere are g pupils, the Utah commission for the adult blind, which maintains n workshop at Salt Lake, where rag rug weaving Is taught to blind men, and in which at tho present. men are earnlnp from $10 to $40 a month Concerning Concern-ing this he comments "The happiness thene men get from their labor in the workshop lOunts for much more than ,the morey they receive. A number of blind men who have been taught weaving In this shop are now paitlal- 1 ly supporting themselves al their homes." OTHER W.l M il s l 1 ther agencies named are the trav- eling teacher for the adult blind, the department of Industrial r habillta-uon. habillta-uon. .the reading room for the bllnu mi s ! Lake; the circulating library for the blind maintained at the Ogden Og-den school, and the Society tor the Aid oi the sightless, which is an organisation organi-sation supported b the i. D. s church In addition there are the I Lib and the Western associations for the niin.l, neither of which is active. M. 13 Allen, a blind man. and at present, a teacher at the Ogden school Is also traveling teacher of the blind, doing this w..ru during the w. k en. Is and summer months. The rehabilitation rehabilita-tion work is under the direction of M.oslah Hall of the state school offices and Professor Driggs s that 2U or more blind are receiving aid and attention at-tention from Mr Hall "Whose work is highly successful because of the fact thai these handicapped men are frequently fre-quently rehabilitated ." STATISTICAL REPORT Mr Driggs submits a Statistical report re-port by Mr. Allen which places the probable number of the blind In the siate at 280. He notes that the census cen-sus gives only 165. but adds thA h has more than that number on his traveling list. He finds that ?4 ot the total are provided for. there being be-ing nine students at colleges and public pub-lic high schools In addition to those al llle I tgoen Ills .iuuoii. Jim un. iiinv at the workshop in this city. BUeven I of the blind are merchants selling groceries, confectioneries. five each ,arc employed as salesmen, piano tuners tun-ers and factory workers, two each as teaming contractors weavers and rea: estate Investors! and one each as mush mu-sh Ian, music teacher. handicraft repairer, art needle worker, and Icc-turer. Icc-turer. and seven arc housewives, having hav-ing in each case entire care of a : home HAL! IRE I R 80 "As blindness ihceaseal with age." it is remarked, "a greater number of I the blind are in advanced life Statistics Sta-tistics show that three-fifths of the blind are over 50 and one-half over 60 years of age Thus of the 2 30 blind 16N are 50 or over and 140 are fii) or over. Perhaps five of the 95 Successful blind are Included in the Ho over 60. Most of the 135 unoc-1 unoc-1 cupied remaining have lived their I lives and do not respond to rchabll-iitution rchabll-iitution Bome enjoy reading and light J work at home, but most are content to do nothing. The 135 elderly and the Mi.", m.ike ,i total of 230. This leaves a probable .'o yet to be reached. Many Of the 95 :ils... call for occasional aid,, 'advice and encouragement and require !lhe services of a traveling teacher." |