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In Massachusetts legislative interest centered in a bill proposing that special facilities be set up to provide for the feeble-minded blind. A comprehensive report covering this subject was published in January 1946, as the result of a bill approved July 25, 1945, which provided for a recess commission to investigate and study the establishment of an institution for the care of the blind feeble-minded and blind epileptic persons in the Commonwealth. The committee presenting the report recommended that a special and complete institution be established which would include all the blind in the categories named, regardless of their age or degree of mental deficiency. Further consideration of this problem and public hearings resulted in the passage, on June 10, 1946, of an act which calls for additional facilities to be made available at the Walter E. Fernald School for the care of the feeble-minded blind. Perkins has long been interested in some special provision for the young blind who are unable to meet the educational standards maintained at this school, It is hoped that through the permission granted by this legislation, an adequate and satisfactory means may be found to care for these children who could benefit by a program of training more suited to their ability. Perkins stands ready to cooperate with the Fernald School in the working out of such a program.

BLINDED VETERANS

In the last report reference was made to the appointment in March 1945 of an Honorary Citizens' Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Army on the rehabilitation of blinded service men. The Director of Perkins was one of twelve members. The appointment of this committee toward the end of the war, and after the program for the rehabilitation of service men had been definitely formed, gave little opportunity for constructive accomplishment. With the close of the war the burden of this work began to fall more heavily on the Veterans Administration than on either the Army or the Navy, and on special invitation of General Omar Bradley, this committee was transferred to the Veterans Administration, and two or three additional members added. The committee has held three meetings, and a thorough study has been made of the procedures of the Veterans Administration in caring for blinded service men, not only those of World War II, but the many who were found to be in veterans' hospitals and homes. An extensive report including many recommendations has been prepared by the committee and submitted to General Bradley. The committee stands ready to give to the Veterans Administration the benefit of the experience with the blind which its members possess.

PROGRAMS FOR THE BLINDED

The Veterans Administration is making some progress toward a constructive program for the blind as they come to them from both the Army and the Navy. In each of the fifty-five regional offices, two men who were designated for training in that field, so that they can better understand and meet the needs of the blinded veterans, were sent in groups from the regional offices to the American Foundation for the Blind in New York for a four weeks' course on problems pertaining to the blind. The Director of Perkins spoke to each of the groups on methods and principles in the education of the young blind. It may be of interest to note that one of the men who heard the Director's talk, later, on returning to his field in Tennessee, found a young blind veteran who he thought could benefit by what Perkins offered, and that young man is now enrolled at Perkins.

A report of the Veterans Administration made in September 1944 indicated that there were, at that time, 3648 veterans on the pension rolls who were totally blind or had not more than 20/200 vision in the better eye. This included the surviving veterans of all wars. A study made in 1946 indicated that there were in the Veterans Administration hospitals and homes, 337 blinded veterans, of whom only eight were of World War II. 307 were veterans of World War I, fourteen were of the Spanish-American War, and the others lost their sight through non-service causes. To this total will be added approximately 1200 or 1300 men who lost their sight in World War II.

The Navy, which began its program for the blind at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia in July 1944, terminated its work in September 1946. A report of July 1946 indicated that a total of 175 blinded cases had been admitted to the hospital. Of this number, 104 were marines. The total number of blind sailors and marines at the close of the program was approximately 200. All of the rehabilitation training as well as most of the hospitalization for the Navy was done at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, with the cooperation of the New York Institute for the Blind, where groups of men went for a ten-day period of testing and guidance.

The Army concentrated its hospitalization for the blind at the Valley Forge General Hospital at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and the Dibble General Hospital in Palo Alto, California. In July 1944 the Army opened Old Farms Convalescent Hospital (Sp.) in Avon, Connecticut, as a retraining center. Practically all the blinded personnel of the Army, in groups of about 150, passed through an eighteen weeks' course in social adjustment and aptitude exploration at this center. At this writing the Avon program is still going on, although nearing completion, and a small number of cases involving long hospitalization will be found in some of the Army hospitals. No official figures are available regarding the actual number of blinded soldiers at this time, but it is known that there are about 1200 men who lost their sight during World War II.