QUESTIONNAIRE REGARDING A BLIND PERSON1 This is not a schedule to be filled out nor a set of queries to be answered by a social agency's client or clients. For an explanation of the purpose of these questionnaires see p. 373 sq. A star (*) indicates that the answer to the question may be found in, or confirmed by, public records. I Prevention of Blindness and Conservation of Eyesight 1. Has a physician, expert in eye diseases, been consulted? 2. Has the vision of each eye been recorded separately, with degree of vision, cause of blindness, and age at occurrence of blindness for each eye? 3. Does your case record distinguish clearly between patient's understanding of cause and physician's statement of cause of blindness? 4. Was the cause of blindness congenital disease or defect, acquired disease, or accident? 5. If a local eye defect, can it be helped by eye glasses, operation, or continuous treatment? 6. If congenital or acquired disease, is it due to general disintegrating trouble which may need continuous treatment or result in other complications? Are there chances of improvement in sight if general treatment is followed? 7. If accident, was the accident the fault of the individual, the occupation, or the community? Is there anything to be done about it for the future safety of others? If industrial accident, has compensation been allowed the individual? 8. Are there chances of retaining the remaining degree of vision if the right occupation is followed? If anxiety about support of self or family is relieved? If healthful life is made possible? 9. Are there other cases of blindness or eye defect in family? 10. Is the disease of a kind which may in active stages menace other members of family or fellow workers? 11. Although not blind, has the patient seriously defective eyesight, even with the aid of the best glasses obtainable? When was he first given glasses, and where? Subsequent glasses given by whom, and where? Which glasses, if any, is he wearing now? Of what value have glasses proved? How recently has he had a physician's advice about his eyes? II Appearance and Amount of Useful Vision 12. Does the patient need to wear smoked glasses for appearance's sake? Would this make a difference about his getting work? 13. Is the patient totally blind-or at most, does he see light only? 14. Has he sufficient sight to avoid running into objects? 1 Prepared for this volume by Miss Lucy Wright, General Superintendent of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. 15. Is he able to distinguish color and see to play cards but not able to read? 16. Is he able to see to read, but forbidden to use his sight long enough for that purpose? 17. Is his limitation of vision or of use to which it can be put sufficient to interfere with ordinary schooling or occupation? III Special Education-Children 18. What is the developmental history of the child? (See questionnaire regarding a Child Possibly Feeble-minded, p. 441.) 19. Does the child appear to be mentally deficient? May this appearance be due to neglect superadded to the physical defect? Because of the effect of such neglect, should not the child's special education, whether at home, at a nursery, or at school, begin at once or at an earlier age than that at which it would be necessary to begin the education of a normal child? If the child has not learned to walk, do his parents realize that, while he may walk as early as a sighted child, he probably needs special incentives because he cannot see and imitate? If he has "habit motions," putting fingers in eyes or the like, do the parents realize that he may be cured of them if taken in hand early enough? Do they realize that his future depends upon good use of hands, and that it will help him to learn early to dress and feed himself? 20. If his parents refuse at first to let him go away from home to school and there is no compulsory education law which is effective in the case of the physically handicapped, can they be persuaded to visit the special school themselves to see its advantages? Can a blind graduate be found to persuade them? If there is no special school, can public school training with sighted children be supplemented by special teaching from some trained blind person in the neighborhood? Is there a kindergarten (worthy of being attended) which can be made use of for him? 21. If the child is at a special school, is every effort being made to keep the family and friends in touch with the child and the school in order that a recognized place of usefulness may be ready for him when he leaves school? 22. If the blind child is at home, is he being spoiled with kindness by family, neighbors, and sighted school mates, or is he having his chance to find out about life as it is? Does he do his share of errands, fill the wood-box, etc.? 23. Does the blind child have his share of play and contribute to pleasure of others, read aloud (from some form of Braille) as well as be read to? IV Special Education-Adults 24. If there are no travelling home teachers for adults nor any special school, can some teacher (preferably blind) be found who will instruct and encourage the newly blind person, so that he may gain confidence in other senses-learn to move about freely, be independent by use of some one of the forms of Braille, the typewriter, etc.? 25. Has he established his own confidence in the sense of touch and hearing by following normal activities? If an able-bodied man dependent on his wife's earnings, do he and she realize that he can help with housework, saw wood, etc., while he is waiting for the chance to learn a new trade? 26. Can he recall any part of his occupation as a sighted man which he came instinctively to do by touch or in which his hearing aided him? Is there any part of the process which he could still do? 27. Has he sufficient executive ability to carry out a small venture of his own, a news-stand, or does he need to work for someone else? like 28. Could he compete without further aid if his chances with sighted workers are equalized by his learning a new trade, such as broom-making; if adequate provision is made for a guide; if provision is made for transcribing his music into Braille; if he has aid in marketing products; if any other extra expenses incident to his blindness are provided for? 29. If he cannot work in competition with the sighted, either in a shop or in an independent enterprise, is he strong enough nervously for a full day's work in a subsidized shop? For a heavy day's work such as broom-making or other occupation entails? 30. Had he any important hobbies, such as chicken raising, cabinet work, or basketry, before loss of sight? Does he know this hobby well enough to pursue it under handicap, effectively and with courage? Can he be given supplementary training in this direction? Can you consult some blind person who has worked out an occupation for himself under similar circumstances? 31. If home industry is possible, can adequate supervision be provided? 32. Have you, before trying to market products, considered that great as is sympathy for the blind, when it comes to business, their goods must be not only "as good as" but "better than" like products of the sighted? Does the blind worker realize that poor work means a forced, temporary market, good work a steady, permanent market? V Special Relief for Blind as Such 33. Is the blindness in any way the fault of the community, i. e., industrial accident, industrial disease? Or is it, as with many other troubles, the fault of nature, disease, or accident not preventable with knowledge as it stands today? Or the fault of the individual, needlessly acquired disease, or accident through carelessness? 34. Has the blind individual contributed to his family and to society in proportion to his ability? Before his blindness? How? Since his blindness? How? 35. If the blind individual is dependent, in what proportion is his dependence due to lack of natural endowments other than sight? To lack of preparation for competition; that is, no special education, or lack of other resources for blind? To presence of social and industrial obstacles common to others than the blind? 36. If institutional care is asked, is it for the protection of the blind individual, for the protection of the community, or for the convenience or saving of expense to relatives? 37. Should the blind individual's economic situation be considered alone or in relation to that of his near relatives? How near are these relatives? What is their ability, financial or other, to care for him? 38. If special forms of relief are sought or needed differing from or in excess of relief received by citizens otherwise handicapped, what shall be required of him in return for such relief? Work? Reasonable standards of living and conduct? 39. Did the individual become blind after sixty? Had he been successful or had he failed while in possession of his sight? Is his problem really a problem of blindness? VI Recreation 40. Are there not resources for recreation for sighted persons that this blind person could make use of? If he is not using them, what stands in the way and how may the difficulty be overcome? Is it lack of a guide? Is it inability to provide for double expense of carfares, etc.? Or lack of encouragement from family? Or needless sensitiveness? 41. Can the family or friends be led to encourage him to all possible normal activities, walks, church, music, theater? 42. If he minds being done for, can you not arrange for him to do something for somebody else, read aloud from Braille, etc., at least do things with others? 43. Does he realize that bowling, dancing, swimming, football, and gardening are parts of the training and play at schools for the blind? Can any opportunity for him to practice any of these exercises or games, or others that will take their place, be developed? 44. Can a friendly visitor (sighted) be found who will call and converse (be talked to as well as talk)? Does this visitor realize that automobile rides, carriage rides, street car rides, or a walk will give respite to the family of a blind invalid as well as prove a tonic to the invalid himself? CHAPTER XXVI THE HOMELESS MAN-THE INEBRIATE HOUGH these two subjects overlap at one point, their juxtaposition here is entirely arbitrary. The inebriate is a patient of the physician, or should be; the homeless man is a client of the social agency-often in need of medical care, it is true, but presenting no one medical problem. Inebriety is an important topic for the case worker because the inebriate is often in need not only of medical but of social treatment, and for the further reason that he is often given a type of social treatment which ignores altogether the obvious need of medical co-operation. 1. THE HOMELESS MAN The fact of homelessness brings under this one caption many different sorts of men and boys, from the lad seeking adventure and the seasonal laborer to the homeless aged and the confirmed wanderer or tramp. Mrs. Alice Willard Solenberger has described them all in One Thousand Homeless Men, so that it is unnecessary to do more here than to refer case workers to that book, by which some of the questions that follow were suggested. HOMELESS MAN QUESTIONNAIRE This is not a schedule to be filled out nor a set of queries to be answered by a social agency's client or clients. For an explanation of the purpose of these questionnaires see p. 373 sq. A star (*) indicates that the answer to the question may be found in, or confirmed by, public records. I Present Situation 1. How long has the man been in this country, state, city? If foreign born, is he thoroughly Americanized? Is he a citizen? 2. Why did he come to this city? From what place did he last come? What was his address there? How did he get here? Did he "beat" his way? Was transportation furnished by a charitable society, an individual, an employer, or employment agency? |