| OCR Text |
Show Assistance to The Blind By UDELL JOLLEY Assistance to the needy blind under the Social Security Act includes in-cludes comparatively few persons, but is none the less an important measure for providing protection against the economic hazards of modern life. Twenty-eight states now have approved programs of assistance as-sistance to the blind, and more than 30,000 blind people are receiving monthly payments from Federal, State, and local funds. In Utah be- i tween 400 and 500 blind persons are receiving this assistance, amounting to more than $6,000 per month in the state, with an average of about $25 per person. To be' eligible for blind assistance a person must have a percentage of vision of 20 200 or less. This means that the person's vision must have been impaired to the extent that he or she can only read inscriptions at a distance of 20 feet, which the normal person could read at 200 feet. Persons with this percentage of vision, or less, are termed industrial-' industrial-' ly blind, and from this standpoint may become eligible for aid to the blind. An applicant for blind assistance must also have resided in Utah at least five years of the past nine, and one year immediately preceding application. ap-plication. Any person who is receiving re-ceiving Old Age assistance is not eligible for blind assistance. The applicant must be at least 21 years old and not an inmate of or being maintained by a public institution. Soliciting alms disqualifies the person per-son for blind assistance. After making application with the local welfare department, the applicant appli-cant must furnish documentary evidence evi-dence as to his or her age and residence resi-dence in the state. Examination by a competent ophthalmologist or doctor doc-tor skilled in diseases of the eye is made to determine the percentage of vision. If the applicant qualifies in this respect a thorough investigation investiga-tion of his property and financial resources is made. The needs of the individual are determined and payment is made on a budgetary basis. All persons in the family are considered in the budget, and income of the family is deducted from the possible maximum maxim-um grant of $30 per month. Whatever amount the individual receives, as determined by the investigation, in-vestigation, the Federal government pays half of such amount, up to $15, or a total Federal-State grant of $30. All applications for aid to the blind in this vicinity will be handled at the local welfare office. Cases may be referred to the office or to any member of the city Welfare Committee. |
