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THE SECOND TRIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE BLIND MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, JULY, 1908 (1)

IMPRESSIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC

AN AMERICAN REVIEW

BY LUCY WRIGHT
Superintendent Registration and Information Department
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

THE Second Triennial International Conference on the Blind, at Manchester, naturally reflected British work more than any other. Of other nations Japan was, most characteristically, represented by an official sent by the government to look into the whole matter of education of the blind in Europe and America. He gave a brilliant summary of the position of the blind in Japan from the year 858 to today, and faced their present problem, under modern conditions of competition, with inspiring frankness. "Sighted people," he says, "are now obliged to invade the occupations hitherto monopolized by the blind. . . .We shall have to give them, whenever possible, more education than the sighted are receiving, in order to make up for the drawbacks caused by blindness, such as slowness in work, etc.. . .We shall have to help introduce the blind to society as capable people, in order to help them in getting rid of unjust prejudices, . . .and when such introductions have no influence in overcoming those prejudices which have existed and always will exist, we shall have to help them materially in providing work for them. . . .In one word, we shall have to give them all equal advantages with the sighted, not more and never less."

Work in France was summarized in a paper by Mlle. Chevenin, of the Valentin Hauy Association. She emphasized the musical career as most profitable for the blind, massage as suited to a few of the well qualified. For the workshops she had little that is encouraging to say from the economic point of view, laying stress upon the need of subsidizing the ordinary shop either by public or private charity. Her account of the Valentin Hauy Association outlined a form of organization much needed today in work for the blind, although for us the use of general social and relief agencies is undoubtedly better than to create special relief work for the blind as a branch of such an organization.

Workers from the United States were scheduled for one paper and to open two discussions. Mr. Green was not present, but his paper was read, and New York and Massachusetts workers shared in the discussion at various sessions.

Dr. Fraser, of Halifax, contributed a practical paper on "Commercial Training of the Blind in Canada," seeming as always to speak out of a real understanding of the lives of the blind in the world outside institutions.

To return to the work of Great Britain, Ireland's session was a frank admission of the neglected condition of many of the blind there and an appeal to the conference to take steps to gain relief from the government. Work for the blind in England itself appears thoroughly institutional, based very largely upon charitable foundations and most substantial in its results, as schools, shops, exhibits, and reports bear evilness. Pensions and the augmenting of wages are accepted as necessary conditions. In fact, a session was given up to the discussion of pensions, and there are for England and Wales fifty pension agencies for their blind population of 25,317, aiding between five and six thousand pensioners. Emphasis in many of these matters is no doubt more marked because of different social conditions, concentrated population, etc., and we could not find close parallels in method for handling the problem of our smaller and more scattered blind population. In general, the impression in England is of a vast number of agencies producing many substantial results in educational and industrial fields of work for the blind, given some unity through the more general organizations, Gardner's Trust and the British and Foreign Blind Association, but, on the whole, involving a more or less competitive system, presenting uneven advantages, and overemphasizing institutional methods. That this impression is true is borne out by some of the more recent moves toward union and coordination, which, with the subject of prevention, were the signs of progress in work for the blind reflected in this conference. The formation of several Unions of All Agencies for the Blind for different sections of England was reported; a report made on the coordination of London workshops; and in the discussion of pensions, a plan suggested for cooperation among pension agencies.

Prevention of blindness had been covered on the program, under a paper by Mr. Ritchie on "Psychology of Blindness and Care of Blind Infants." The subject was, however, referred to further by presiding officers and in discussion and an additional paper introduced by Miss Holt, of New York, on "Preventable Blindness?' Mr. Ritchie's paper, though brief, called very forcibly for action in the direction of prevention of blindness from ophthalmia neonatorum. He quoted Dr. Harman's figure of forty per cent of blindness as due to this trouble, and stated that in Great Britain "no word of all the sympathetic emotion expressed has yet been crystallized into anything more definite than the dissemination of cautionary leaflets." Miss Holt's paper emphasized the efforts of doctors alone as insufficient; told of the work of the New York Association, which this year is to spend $5,000 in pursuing its investigations and preventive efforts in this line; and submitted a comprehensive outline of what most be done, in different directions, for the prevention of blindness, at all ages and from various causes.

The matter of closer organization or cooperation in work for the blind seems to come hand in hand with recognition of the needs of the blind outside institutions. Scotland, with its blind population closely paralleling that of Massachusetts (2) in numbers, has worked out a very cooperative plan for the "outside blind," and the English unions promise to accomplish the same end. The first session of the conference was devoted to this subject, under the title, "The Housing of the Blind, Residential and Holiday Homes, Improved Methods of Visitation and Home Teaching, the Promotion of After Care and Visitation Committees." Miss Heywood, honorary secretary of the North of England Union of All Agencies for the Blind, the recent organization to which I have referred, says: "When the young blind who arc being educated and about 8,000 who are earning a livelihood in workshops and institutions have been deducted, there remains an enormous number to be dealt with. Nearly 10,000 are receiving parish relief, and of these probably as many as 5,000 are in workhouses." Miss Heywood recognizes with us the need of a register as a basis for such work. She quotes many differing opinions as to the best ways of handling the various problems outlined in her subject, but inclines herself, in a disappointing way, to special institutions, and even concludes with the proposition that "colonies for the blind," on a smaller scale but on much the same lines as the one which the Queen of Roumania has already founded, be established. While it is clear that certain temperaments cannot stand the strain of competition with the seeing, and a large per cent of blind workers require supervision, the wishes and welfare of the blind seem to demand the minimizing of special institutions and the greatest possible use of institutions in common with the seeing, whether in matters of education, recreation, employment, or permanent homes. Here, again, we may be under differing conditions, for Miss Heywood speaks of the blind of England as "in the grip of poverty, often of destitution." While the economic loss to our families, under the condition of blindness, is almost paralyzing, I believe that our very varied group represent, as a whole, more comfortable homes.

There were sessions on lines of work less familiar to me personally which were most inspiring and enjoyable. Every one who was at the conference recalls, with pleasure, the cheerful session on "recreations," held at Liverpool. The most scholarly paper of the conference was that on the "Psychology of Blindness," and together with interesting discussion of the subject made up a most valuable session. Music as a profession was another subject, handled with equal enthusiasm both by English speakers and in Mlle. Chevenin's paper.

Much was left to be desired in the form of organization at the conference. The program as it stands, I think, reflects honestly the somewhat chaotic state of the general subject of work for the blind the world over. There are so many forms of specialization in the work that a conference arranged in sections, under sub-committees, to bring together workers in the same field for getting a little more thoroughly and closely at their chosen subject would seem profitable for another conference.