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The ever increasing conviction that the good citizenship for which our schools exist, can be realized only by trained hands, as well as minds, has led to a rapid growth and enlargement of the scope of our educational system by the introduction of sewing, cooking, carpentering and other industries into the curriculum. All of these progressive steps, marking as they do an ever advancing Christian civilization, were factors which, in their combination, led thoughtful people to consider the condition and the needs of the adult blind. As the result of this consideration and investigation it was discovered that many who had spent from six to twelve years at some school for the blind, while possessing a good literary education, and with minds cultured and broadened by the opportunities they had enjoyed, were still unable to utilize any of their accomplishments to the extent of obtaining a livelihood, and without home or friends were compelled to take refuge in an almshouse or to become mendicants upon the streets. Further investigation discovered another fact of which the public is still to a very large extent, profoundly ignorant, that of the blind people in any state a very large proportion (some estimate at least two-thirds) lose their sight either by accident or disease after they are nineteen years of age, or beyond the age limit in most states for entering the ordinary schools for the blind; and even could they enter, such a curriculum as these schools present would not be what is needed by these people, many of whom have families depending upon them. Conditions like these when properly understood by an enlightened public, will not long be allowed to continue.

If in schools for seeing children the introduction of manual training has proved to be a wise measure, preparing these children for lives of greater usefulness and consequently of greater happiness, how much more important is it that manual training should occupy a prominent place in the curriculum of schools for the blind; and that every pupil graduated from these schools should be proficient in one or more useful industries, as well as in the literary work to which attention has been given.

While the number of occupations open to the blind is necessarily limited, still from time to time new ones appear, and without doubt as people become interested in the subject and the blind themselves demand opportunities, many hitherto unthought of avenues to usefulness and profit will be opened.

Of the children attending schools for the blind, as of those attending schools for the seeing, only a small proportion will ever be able to obtain their living by what we call a profession.

By far the larger number, if self-supporting wholly or in part, must become so through the use of their hands. Hence that which will be a necessity to them in later life should be provided for them in their school curriculum, even though Greek and Latin and some of the higher mathematics be dropped out.

Those who lose their sight in adult life need to learn that while blindness may cause a change in plans or business, still it is not an insuperable obstacle to success along some other useful and honorable line of work; and that the State provides facilities for their training along these other lines, and stands behind them, not to rob them of self-respect by pauperizing them, but to enable them to maintain their self-respect by thus aiding them in their heroic efforts to continue as independent self-supporting citizens. Such schools for the training of the adult blind should be established in every State; not to supersede the schools for blind children already established, but to supplement them. They should open a door of hope to those who lose their sight after passing the ordinary school age, by affording them an opportunity at the expense of the State to learn some branch or branches of industry to which they are adapted and by means of which they may become once more independent. They should also receive such pupils from the schools for blind children, as having pursued their regular course of study are evidently not calculated to succeed in a professional life, but need an industrial training to prepare them for future independence and usefulness.

The question now naturally arises are such schools practicable? Connecticut has already answered the question in the affirmative, and to-day occupies the proud position of being the pioneer state to provide by legislative enactment for the instruction of her adult blind. Michigan has followed her example, and we are surrounded to-day with the evidence of her broad-minded, far-sighted liberality. Many other States through their Legislatures or by private citizens are working for the establishment of similar Institutions and the day is not far distant, in my opinion, when provision for the adult blind will be made by every State.

I have the honor to represent as General Superintendent the Industrial Institute for Adult Blind in Connecticut, and I frequently receive letters from officials or private citizens of other states inquiring about our institution, its origin, aim and scope, and what it has already accomplished.