THE CAPABLE BLIND.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5356, 26 November 1928, Page 2

THE CAPABLE BLIND.

HAPPY, BUSY, USEFUL PEOPLE. Many people have a wrong conception qf the blind. This point was ttaken uup by Mr Clutha Mackenzie at a civic reception at Wellington tq th® boys’ band from the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, when he claimed that the sightless (of whom he is one), under certain conditions, were just a.s happy, busy, and useful people as anyqne else. “The old attitude,” said Mr Mackenzie, “was that when a person lost his sight he lost the use of the other senses as well. Once when I was standing for an Auckland seat in Parliament, I was in a, barber’s shop waiting my turii. One of the barbers was reading a paper, and conning over the names elf the candidates, when he suddenly said ‘Poor yqung Mackenzie! If he hadn’t lost, his sight I believe he would hqve had brains!’ (Laughter.) He had overlooked the fact that the Almighty had endowed the blind with other, senses — hearing, speech, sense, of touch, muscles, all of which could be traced to useful work the same as with other people. It is the functiqn of the Jubilee Institute to give the opportunity of developing those capacities. There are 700 blind throughout New Zealand, and some splendid results had been achieved. Many blind men and women are self-supporting, and others are doing a great deal in support qf themselves. Useful occupation is as necessary to us as to anyone else!”