[Colorado-Talk] Blind learn to draw

[Peggy Chong]

>From time to time I share an article from Colorado newspapers that I think
our list might be interested in.  Here is one that is surely different.  I
love the inspiration for the idea expressed in the news article below.

 

Peggy Chong

 

The Trumpet = La Tromba, Volume V, Number 38, September 21, 1940 

 

Diffident Artist Now Teaches Blind To Draw and Write

Method Makes It Possible For Afflicted to Enjoy New Pleasures.

 

LOS ANGELES.-Little did George T. Wally dream 12 years ago that his
embarrassment would some day lead him into a field that eventually would
become his life work, and as a result, his embarrassing moments would bring
hours of happiness to many less fortunate than he. A new method of teaching
the blind to enjoy some of the pleasures of normal persons and to awaken
talents otherwise dormant is being developed by Wally. The idea was
conceived by the artist and former Golden Glove boxing champion in 1928
during the time he was sketching characters on New York streets. Finding it
embarrassing to sketch a subject amid curious onlookers, Wally began
searching for some inconspicuous means of making his drawing unobserved.
Sketched in Pocket. He solved the problem by wearing a deep pocketed coat
and with the aid of a pencil and paper drew the sketch within the depths of
the pocket, never seeing the drawing. As he put it, "I merely transferred
the mental picture onto the pad in my pocket, using my fingers and a pencil
as a medium. "At the time I wondered about the possibilities of introducing
such a system to aid the blind," he said. Though the idea of subconsciously
transferring a mental image to paper occurred to him 12 years ago, it was
not until six months ago that he began to develop it. And, after a brief
experiment in using it as an aid to the blind, Wally believes the blind can
be taught to write, draw and paint without the medium of Braille. Progress
has been made during the past six. months by Wally's 12

pupils. Unaided, aside from fundamental instructions, they have learned to
write their names, write poetry, letters and notes, play tic-tac-toe and
paint simple designs with water colors. "The blind," Wally said, "are
sensitive and can learn only when they are completely relaxed."  Easily
Learn to Write. They first are taught to draw a straight line and once this
is accomplished they gain confidence and it is comparatively simple to teach
them to write. Each student is supplied with a paper six inches square,
containing a series of four upraised dots placed one inch apart. Spaced
between the inch markers is another raised dot to designate one-half inch.
The student then places his finger tips on one of the four raised dots along
each border which serve as guide lines. Next, with a light pencil at the tip
of one finger, the pupil moves it across the paper to the right. Each
repetition of the performance will produce four parallel lines and to the
blind student this is a great accomplishment. Then after mastering the
technique of drawing a straight line the students begin writing their name.
This is a feat which many blind never have been able to do. It is Wally's
contention that the blind may be trained in the arts, producing plays,
musical comedies and operas, to further develop their talents. Wally
ventured into the experimental teaching of the blind upon his own initiative
and since has progressed in his own work. 

 

 

 

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