# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S406
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

406 MISSIONS

If a transcriber could be found in every congregation where there
is a blind person who can read Braille, this person could transcribe
the hymns and liturgy into Braille, until the whole hymnal is
transcribed. If this were done, the blind person could participate
in the whole service and derive greater joy and benefit from it.
And some day, if it is feasible, the complete hymnal can be printed
and carried in stock, as it is done with other books.

5. More Intensive Work Must Be Done Among the Blind in the
State Schools

Some of our pastors are doing splendid work among the blind
children in the State schools, but there are also some schools in
which little or nothing is being done. These blind children are
part of our future Church.

a. Our Board has been carrying on correspondence with all
pastors located where State schools for the blind are to be found,
but much more should be done. A mimeographed bulletin should
be published for these pastors, which would offer suggestions, an-
swer questions, and tell what others are doing.

b. The necessary work tools should be given to these pastors:
the Catechism and the Bible Histories in Braille for the children
and the same textbooks in ink print for the pastors.

ce. A children’s magazine should be published in Braille, so
that also the blind children may have Christian literature in a
print and language they can read and understand.

6. A Lutheran School for the Blind

In 1945 the Lutheran Laymen’s League had made a survey
of blind children in the Missouri Synod who are of school age.
A total of 3,339 congregations were approached by letter with an
enclosed postcard questionnaire. Responses were received from
2,252, or 67 per cent of these congregations. A total of 75 blind
children, below the age of 14 years, were reported from 17 dif-
ferent States. The information received is as follows:

Number of blind or nearly blind under 6 years of age
Number of children, 6—14 years, in school

Number of children, 6—~14 years, also deaf, in school 3
Number of children, 6—14 years, not in school _.._ 24
Number of children, 6—14 years, with other handicaps —__. 4

Total vi)

The Lutheran Laymen’s League has now referred this ‘report
to the Board of Missions to Deaf and Blind for further study.

In a more recent census of blind in the Synodical Conference
our Board has made an attempt to secure the names and addresses