# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S903
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

MISSIONS __ 408

literature for the blind in Braille and Moon type. But, unfor-
tunately, only about 25 per cent of the blind population can read
- embossed type. This presents the problem: What about the other
5 per cent of the blind?

‘I, The Present

7 During the past three years our Board of Missions to Deaf and
Blind has tried to make a thorough study of the spiritual work as

it should be done by our Blind Mission, in order to win the blind

’ for Christ. A definite program of expansion has been adopted by

the Board and is now ready to be put into action.

1. Census of the Blind

A census of the blind in the Synodical Conference has been
made and tabulated as follows:

Questionnaire cards sent out to pastors by Concordia
Publishing House

Double U.S. Postcards ———__.._____eeeest*=«*iSS*=“LL
Canada Postcards — ee C
Total 5,330
The Returns (March 17, 1947)
Cards returned by pastors (48%) 2,582
Cards not returned (52%) —-—-.-_________._._ 2,748
5,330
The Blind in the Synodical Conference
Number of blind reported by pastors — ~~... 786
Blind who cannot read embossed type ......___..._. 588
Blind who can read Braille only —...4#-+=sS ee Sti«idE
Blind who can read Moon only . 17
Blind who can read Braille and Moon —_-._. 15
786
Including the 15 who can read Braille and Moon, we have
A “possible” number of Braille readers —2---.+.+_—ss«181
A “possible” number of Moon readers —--_-_..___. 32
213
Number and Cost of Magazines
In February, 1947, we sent out —.___. _. 1,285 Messengers (Braille)
In February, 1947, we sent out —..._.. 658 Heralds (Moon)
The cost of the Messenger ~~ ~_-_-.___.__ 35 cents a copy
The cost of the Herald —____.____#_#§#§..§.____ 35 cents a copy

According to the census

We have 181 “possible” Braille readers (14%)
We have 32 “possible” Moon readers (less than 5%)

—

We have 213 “possible” readers (less than 11%)

Of these “possible” readers

Only 78 receive the Messenger (Braille)
Only 12 receive the Herald (Moon)