Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1969-1970 — Page 26

and self-supporting members of the community. This generally involves three processes: treatment to help the disabled to adjust themselves to their disabilities, vocational training and other forms of training to encourage them to make the fullest possible use of their residual capacity, and their restoration to society through placement in remunerative employment or appropriate schooling.

69. During the year the Colonial Secretariat, Medical, Education and Social Welfare Departments felt that stronger co-ordination of efforts were needed in the field of mental retardation. A Steering Committee was set up to co-ordinate action and in general to see that limited resources are properly used. An assessment team consisting of a social worker, a medical officer and an educational psychologist, was formed to assess the level of mental development of known retarded children and thus the appropriate type of service that should be pro- vided. The first task of the team has been to assess all known or suspected mentally retarded children in the care of institutions. In time it is hoped that the team will be able to assess also those who are living with their families.

70. The Principal Social Welfare Officer (Rehabilitation) is respon- sible for the supervision of work in this field of social welfare; his staff are concerned with the rehabilitation of persons in need who may be classified into 4 main groups, namely, the mentally handicapped, the blind (or visually impaired), the deaf and the physically disabled. Social and vocational rehabilitation services are provided in 19 institu- tions, clubs, centres and workshops administered by the Department whose staff work in very close co-operation with voluntary welfare organizations and Government Departments providing similar or com- plementary services and facilities.

71. The mentally retarded have often been confused with the mentally ill, who can benefit from psychiatric treatment. Mental retardation is a handicap which may be congenital or may arise as a result of severe illness, and there is no specific cure for it. The rehabilitation of people suffering from such a handicap depends partly on the severity of the disability, and partly on the application of appropriate vocational and other forms of training.

72. The mentally retarded are classified into three different grades (mild, moderate and severe) and different measures are required to deal with each grade. The mildly retarded are capable of receiving an educa- tion with the help of special schooling. The majority can live a normal

20