March 31, 1926 Helen Keller Will Pay Visit To Help Blind
Lunch is held at Hotel Jamestown to make plans for coming of famous blind woman, who is devoting her life to those similarly afflicted.
Several prominent, men and women were invited to meet Mrs. Ida Hirst Gifford at the Hotel Jamestown at noon today, for an informal luncheon. Mrs. E. J. Ashwell is introducing Mrs. Gifford, who comes to arrange for an evening with Helen Keller in Jamestown. The work for the blind of this city and of the entire country is being carried out thru the American Foundation for the Blind, to which Miss Helen Keller is now devoting her life. Mrs. Gifford has praised the work that New York State is doing.
“Since we all have like purposes and like problems there exists an urge for fellowship in service, to bring together the workers for the blind and to help meet their needs.” Says Mrs. Ida Hirst Gifford, special representative of the American Foundation for the Blind, the headquarters of which are 135 East 46th Street, New York. She is here in the interest of not only the blind of this city, but of the entire country.
Mrs. Gifford says “Action is our watchword. Action will bring results. WE must open the eyes and hearts of the public to see and to feel the need for work among the blind, and we know that we will lift public estimation of our work only in proportion to the results we obtain. With the sympathetic support and the cordial co-operation of the workers for the blind of the entire country the Foundation will be enabled to achieve its great purpose.
“For all people education is the light of life: for the blind it is their hope of happiness, the poser which lifts them from their ;dark profound’ to take a place beside their seeing brothers. The foundation plnas to undertake a survey of occupations open to the blind, to make a compilation of occupations being undertaken by the blind in which they are succeeding both in America and abroad, and to disseminate this knowledge to all agencies in the various states.
“To insure good training, good instructors are necessary, hence the Foundation thru its bureau of education will aim to present the best methos for teach training and to help institute courses for this work. In like manner, the best methos of training for field agents, home teachers and secretaries.
“And what can we do for blind girls and boys of unusual promise? We can give them an opportunity for high education, encouraging their effort by providing scholarships and by helping to provide material required in the advanced studies. Because of the tremendous expense in the production of embossed reading matter for the blind; production is continuously curtailed. This means that one of the essential aids to education and diversion is ill supplied. We propose to assist the output of literature for the blind.
“There reman other needs – the management of industrial shops: of wages paid to the blind: of employment of the blind; of employment of the blind in direct competition to the seeing; of the production and dissemination of literature for the blind; recreation activities for the blind children; of club and other social activities; standardizing the best kind of local and state legislation for maintaining the handicap of blindness without pauperizing the blind.
“The corporation of the American Foundation for the Blind has no authorized capital stock; it is dependent up on the voluntary gifts of its patrons and friend. It is our purpose to stimulate the interest o the public, to gather friend s into our fellowship of service, so that the foundation may quickly realize the broad aims for which it was organized.
The luncheon guest included: Mrs. Frank Edward Gifford, Miss Emily Sellstrom, Mrs. H. P. Robertson, Dr. Frans D. Tyer, Alfred A. Anderson, Mrs. Harold Bloomquist, William S. Bailey, M. J. Fletcher, Mrs. C. W. Herrick, Mrs. C. L. Eckman, Mrs. George L. Maltby, Mrs. Cora Sheldon Tew, Mrs. Clare A. Pickard, Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Goodwill, Lucian J. Warren, Mrs. Chares H. Gifford, Miss Marion Skiff and Mrs. Marvin A Tyler, special representative of the American Foundation for the Blind.
