The American ORT Federation reported today that a new program for occupational adjustment for blind persons is underway in Israel as a joint activity of a United States Federal agency, the Israel Ministry of Social Welfare and ORT.
The experiment, in which the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Health Education and Welfare, is participating, will be conducted at the ORT Textile Institute at Ramat Gan. The major costs are being defrayed out of United States Government counterpart funds in Israel.
American ORT officials said a training center for blind persons was being established at the institute to conduct research in means of teaching textile skills to blind workers and to conduct actual courses to prepare the blind to handle machinery and carry out normal work operations in textile plants.
Preliminary studies made by the Ministry of Social Welfare in 1961 established that blind persons can work effectively in certain jobs in textile mills if they are given appropriate training. Blind persons who are otherwise physically fit can be brought up to the level of skilled workers and foremen.
Operation of the training center is planned for at least three years. The Institute will serve at the same time as a training center for vocational teachers for the blind. The results of the program will be embodied in a training manual which will be made available for industries and organizations working with the blind in the United States.
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