jumped from 4,355 at the end of March 1960, to 5,581 a year later. The greatest increase was witnessed in the number of blind persons registered, which rose from 2,051 to 2,703. Some 357 blind were dis- covered as a result of a survey in the New Territories conducted by the Medical and Health Department's mobile ophthalmic team, the British Red Cross Society, the rural committees, the Hong Kong Society for the Blind and the Department. The survey was also successful in bringing treatment to some 3,000 persons suffering from eye diseases in the outlying areas.
70. Two schools for the blind run by voluntary agencies were in process of expansion, while the Department continued to run six clubs which gave nearly 300 blind persons a first adjustment to blindness. Those who were assessed as employable were passed on to the five vocational training and sheltered employment centres run by the Hong Kong Society for the Blind with some assistance from the Department. At the close of the year there were 124 trainees and workers engaged in brush and broom-making, machine-sewing, telephony and repairing and repainting boxes. An order for 43,000 brooms was recently received from the Government Stores Department while the first trainee of the telephony class found employment in November.
71. The number of deaf persons registered increased from 1,034 to 1,258 during the year. The Department established clubs for deaf children at the Wong Tai Sin Community Centre (See illustrations between pages 24 and 25) and the Tsan Yuk Social Centre during the year, while the Victoria Park School for the Deaf, run as a branch of the Hong Kong School for the Deaf, opened with two classes in September. Hearing aids bought with charitable funds were issued to 17 deaf persons while employment was found for 30. Most of them were employed either as cleaners with the R.A.F. or as factory workers with the Textile Corporation of Hong Kong.
72. The number of cripples registered with the Department increased from 1,270 to 1,620 during the year. A club providing informal educa- tion for 21 crippled children was established in August and vocational classes in machine-sewing and sock and glove-knitting were transferred from Hung Hom to Block X at Wong Tai Sin in May. A new class in tapestry was started in Tai Hang Tung in December. North Point Camp continued to provide vocational training and sheltered employ- ment for handicapped inmates; further details are given at Appendix 15.
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