out. A profoundly deaf person may be defined as one who cannot hear even with a deaf aid. Although this is a severe disadvantage, it does not mean that he is unable to support himself. Particularly if he receives vocational training, he should be able to earn a living. For this mason, profound deafness is only regarded (for example, for purpose of the workmen's compensation scheme) as giving rise to a 50% disability. Accordingly, a profoundly deaf person should not be equated with a person who qualifies for disability allowance because of a 100% loss of earning capacity, according to the criteria of the workmen's compensation scheme, or has an equivalent disability or requires constant attendance. Medium grade mentally subnormal persons are comparable to the profoundly deaf. Their need for care and supervision may be substantial, but they are not severely subnormal and can respond to training and look after themselves.
It is bound to be difficult to decide which categories
5.12
of disabled should fall within the scope of the disability allowance and which should not. But the purpose of the disability allowance is to assist those who are least able to help themselves. Both the profoundly deaf and the medium grade mentally subnormal are able to respond to training. The resources available for social services are not unlimited and, rather than extend the scope of the disability allowance scheme to cover these categories, it seems better to put additional resources into rehabilitation, with the aim of helping them to lead a more independent life. However,
a deaf or mentally subnormal person who is unemployable would become eligible for the chronic sickness allowance.
5.13 Similar considerations apply to the question of whether a lower level of allowance should be paid to those who are disabled, but not severely so. The welfare allowance scheme, unlike the workmen's compensation scheme, does not compensate all those who are partially disabled, whether or not they are capable of supporting themselves. Rather than provide an allowance for any disabled person, irrespective of whether he is able to work, it seems better to pay a chronic sickness allowance, for which eligibility depends upon inability to work.
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