HOME TEACHING, FIELD AND SHOP WORK Blind and partially sighted home teachers visit blind men and women in their homes, instructing them in reading, writing and home industries. Social visits are made on infirm and aged blind people, and on such blind adults as need to be encouraged to undertake some form of occupation. Children, blind or with eye conditions which threaten blindness, are found by these home teachers and referred to physicians for medical treatment, or to schools for the blind. 7 blind agents have visited 1,393 blind people living in 43 counties of the State; 498 of this number were found this year. 27 blind children have been referred to schools for the blind. 35 have been referred for medical treatment. 20 blind as referred, have received some degree of vision. The Commission was obliged in August to close its two broom shops in Glens Falls and Rochester due to the limited capital fund and the prevailing excessive prices of all broom material. 22 blind men have been under instruction. Broom shops: 10 blind men have had broom supplies at wholesale rates for individual shops. 244 blind men have been given home employment. Besides bringing resources to the blind adult who welcomes reading or home occupation in exchange for idleness, the blind home teacher brings also encouragement and inspiration to resume a former business activity. A recently-blinded adult is provided with a guide and with supplies for house-to-house salesmanship; within a period of four months, he has regained his former courage and initiative and is again regularly employed. Another, a man under 40, described as a blind indigent, was referred to the Commission by a social organization unused to dealing with blindness, asking that he be admitted to a home, it being assumed that blindness disqualified him for employment; through the efforts of a blind home teacher, this man was established in a newsstand in the city which had referred him as indigent; his wares promptly became popular and his daily receipts have made him independent of financial help; under the inspiration of his employment and his renewed self-respect, this man became eager to secure treatment for his eye condition he sought the Commission's nurse-operative treatment sent him back to his newsstand able to read the smallest headlines of his daily papers. He is no longer the blind newsdealer; he is also paying back the money advanced to establish him in his business. Faith and a little optimism, as well as practical judgment on the part of one with personal experience in overcoming the handicap of blindness, accomplished this result. PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS The plan of the Commission in establishing nursing service and securing affiliation with physicians, hospitals and nursing organizations at various points in the State, is to constitute its office a center for securing treatment for, and emphasis upon, the care of the eyes. After the initial visit by the Commission's nurse, cases are referred to the local nursing service and reports of progress under treatment are secured until the patient is discharged. Under this plan, the Commission's two nurses are available for a much larger territory than would otherwise be possible. (For detail of cases referred, see Appendix A.) Nursing Service - New York City This nurse gives her time about equally to city and rural cases and to the clinic at Sing Sing prison. 111 patients with serious eye conditions were referred; 32 were cases of optic atrophy with defects in vision; 14 were interstitial keratitis, neglecting treatment; 62 were discharged with improved sight after treatment. Typical cases are: two children with active trachoma, referred from a free clinic, where it had been considered that operative treatment was necessary to save sight. The father was antagonistic, claiming authority to allow his children to go blind without interference; with the interest of the neighborhood deaconess, and the authority of the Gerry Society, the father was induced to allow treatment. Another case, from a rural district, was a girl of 19, having corneal opacities and congenital cataracts; local friends financed her trip to New York and hospital treatments which were arranged for by the Commission's nurse. Prognosis is favorable for useful vision after a series of operations. 284 patients were referred to this nurse; 159 were discharged with improved vision. Of 48 pupils in a nearby Indian school, 17 were found needing attention. These pupils were brought in groups to a city clinic for treatment. A case of significant interest reported by this nurse, is a child of 7 years referred as going blind; she was taken, accompanied by her foster parents for examination; the diagnosis was beginning optic atrophy, resulting from inherited syphilis; although legally adopted, the child was turned over to the nurse by the foster parents, to be returned to her original home; vigorous treatment has been instituted and it is hoped that total blindness may be prevented. Sing Sing Clinic This clinic, in its second year, has continued to justify its initial experiment through its record of patients treated in time to prevent certain blindness. For its successful conduct and the place which it has been accorded in the constructive program of prison reform, we are greatly indebted to two members of our Advisory Council of Physicians - Dr. Conrad Berens, Jr., and Dr. H. Robertson Skeel who have given generously both professional service and personal interest. 1,248 visits have been made to the clinic by 430 inmate patients for treatment of eye conditions. 40 operations have been performed; 8 of these have saved sight in uninjured eyes. 232 patients have been refracted and vision improved. A typical case from this clinic is: an Italian, aged 34, referred on entering the prison, was just able to open his eyes. Examination revealed an old trachoma with a macula of the cornea; his vision was poor in each eye, needing refraction. He had never been at school on account of his eyes; could not see well enough had four brothers and two sisters in Italy with the same trouble; he has been treated and given glasses; his vision is greatly improved his trachoma is responding to treatment; he will be able to attend the prison school. CHANGES IN COMMISSION AND ADVISORY COUNCIL In September, 1917, Mr. Ziegler resigned from membership with the Commission, having accepted a commission in the United States Army, requiring residence in Washington. Mr. M. C. Migel was appointed to succeed Mr. Ziegler, and, in December, 1917, accepted the Chairmanship of the Commission. Miss Mary V. Hun has been appointed Vice-chairman. Miss Lucille A. Goldthwaite, whose term expired June 21, 1917, resumed her duties at the November meeting of the Commission, with the understanding that such action was temporary. The Advisory Council of Physicians has been increased by the appointment of Dr. H. Robertson Skeel, who is associated with Dr. Berens as Clinical Surgeon for the eye clinic at Sing Sing prison; Dr. D. F. Gillette, of Syracuse, has been appointed Clinical Surgeon with the Commission in work at that center; Dr. Skeel and Dr. Gillette are giving valuable service in the treatment of rural and city cases, and in the development of special clinical services. CHANGES IN STAFF MEMBERSHIP Mr. J. J. Murphy, field agent with the Commission since its first year, resigned on November 1st, to accept an appointment as director of work for the blind with the Exchange and Training School, conducted by the Brooklyn Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. Mr. Murphy's many friends on the Commission's staff, and among the blind throughout the State, endorse him to this field of larger responsibility, while regretting the loss of his services with the Commission. Mr. James Cowley resigned September 1st to accept employment in a large mercantile establishment in his home city; Mr. William Boname was appointed October 1st to succeed Mr. Cowley. In the death of Mr. Angelo Garrasi, in June, 1917, the Commission lost a member of its home teaching staff whose activities were characterized by a very marked sincerity and effectiveness in serving blind pupils and in securing medical services and school privileges for children blind or with defective vision. We believe this resumé of the year's activities shows steady progress made in the program of State-wide service to the blind; in emphasizing the industrial phases of such program, the manufacture and marketing of the products of blind labor, the Commission has had constant and valuable service from private organizations and blind individuals throughout the State. We wish to make especial mention of the joint services with Commission representatives, of organizations for the blind located in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Utica, Glens Falls, Poughkeepsie, New York City and Brooklyn. Newspapers, church and social organizations have made a wide extension of the Commission's work possible. A large number of physicians throughout the State have gratuitously given professional and personal services; a great many blind individuals have taken infinite pains to put the Commission in touch with others, blind and needing help such as the Commission can offer; mercantile and other business firms have offered most direct assistance in making industrial work possible for local blind residents; the home teachers and other employees on the staff have worked with untiring devotion and effectiveness; this individual effort and interest is here gratefully acknowledged. We commend to the Governor and to the members of the Legislature the cause of the adult blind. It is constantly demonstrated |