WAR BLINDED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1941, Page 6

WAR BLINDED

MEASURES OF ASSISTANCE DISCUSSED. AT MEETING OF SIGHTLESS VETERANS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Now Zealand soldiers who lose their sight in this war will receive the benefit of the experience and advice of their elder brothers in misfortune. As yet only one casualty of this kind is known of in New Zealand, a man who has already returned. On Saturday there wasf*hcld in Wellington an informal reunion of 14 blinded returned soldiers, men attending from Auckland, Christchurch and Hawke’s Bay. as well as Wellington. At the same lime a meeting of the St. Dunstan's New Zealand Blinded Soldiers' Association, and the trustees of (ho Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen's Blind Soldiers' and Sailors’ Fund was held. The discussions centred on the rehabilitation of war blinded. It was decider 1 that the use of the term “war blinded" should bo encouraged rather than "blinded soldiers." because many of the blinded of this war would bo airmen, sailors and A.R.P. workers. It ‘-was felt also that, because of the ef- , feels of tile war on England, training [centres should bo established in the Dominions, where the task of restorling to blinded men confidence in their lability to earn their living and take their place in the social life of the community could be undertaken promptly. The raising under current legislation of finance for the assistance of those blinded also was considered.