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disaster organisations.
45.
The C.D.O.'s role as a local co-ordinator is likely to grow only gradually to meet contingen- cies which have not hitherto required local co-ordination. We may in addition spot existing activities where co-ordination could be improved but here we have to watch departmental sensibilities and act only when we can do so without causing irritation.
46.
I conclude this section with a discussion of the impact of the C.D.O. scheme on other departments.
47.
We have not yet, I think, set in train any major change in policy by a department though our involvement in the blind workers' dispute may one day be seen to have contributed to a reappraisal of policy towards the disabled.
48.
Senior departmental officers have, on the whole, been sympathetic and I believe their attitude has been coloured by the favourable publicity in the English language press. At the same time we have been very conscious of the fact that almost any thing we do can be construed as the business of some other department and there is always a risk that our action will be seen as interference. We try to avoid giving this impression but not to the extent of doing nothing at all. Departmental indignation is, however, usually well tempered with toleration by the time a senior officer telephones or writes personally on some point. We have certainly made mistakes and there have been misunderstandings, but these have been resolved before too much damage has been done.
149.
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