SOCIAL WELFARE
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extent, and to help them integrate into the community. In 1979, some 4,400 disabled people received training in different types of training centres and worked in sheltered workshops. Residential care facilities were provided in some of these centres for disabled people who were either homeless or could not be looked after adequately by their families.
Rehabilitation of the disabled is one of the government's prime concerns in the social welfare field. Through subventions, the government has encouraged selected voluntary agencies to provide a wide range of facilities for disabled people of different age groups. As a result, a number of new facilities opened or were in the final stages of preparation during 1979. For the more severely disabled children, 147 places are being made available in four special child care centres run by the Spastics Association of Hong Kong, Caritas - Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, and Po Leung Kuk. During the year, mildly disabled children were integrated into ordinary child care centres as far as possible, with an additional 60 places being made available. Other projects proceeding during 1979 were two residential care centres providing a total of 55 places, managed by the Spastics Association of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Red Cross; and four sheltered workshops providing 245 places. Two of the four sheltered workshops are being run by the Spastics Association of Hong Kong, with the other two by the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association and the Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth.
In line with its policy of encouraging sport and recreation among Hong Kong's com- munity in general, the government has also been placing emphasis on the provision of recreational facilities for disabled people. Two clubs for the deaf and the Lady MacLehose Centre, which is run by the Hong Kong Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied Associa- tion, have been opened. The Lady MacLehose Centre, which was built with a $10 million donation from the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, offers disabled people some of the best facilities for sport and recreation in Southeast Asia.
Three pilot schemes, which are receiving financial support from the Lotteries Fund, were started in 1979 to provide new services for the disabled on an experimental basis. Two of these projects, operated by the Heep Hong Club for Handicapped Children and Caritas Hong Kong, offer counselling and guidance services for parents who have a disabled child. The third project, a home run by the Hong Kong Society of Homes for the Handicapped, provides residential and day care services for 100 severely mentally handicapped adults.
Another significant achievement has been the development of the Rehabus Scheme, operated by the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation and financed by the Community Chest and the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. Under the scheme, special door-to-door transport is provided for disabled people who are unable, or find it very difficult, to use public transport. Transport is available to go to work, school, medical centres or places of recreation. The scheme now has 10 minibuses which have a total capacity of 90 passengers.
Group and Community Work
The Social Welfare Department operates group and community work services through a network of seven community centres, eight housing estate community centres and 11 com- munity halls. Neighbourhood welfare services provided in these buildings include libraries, day nurseries, vocational training, family counselling, interest groups, social clubs for different age groups and social activities. Sixteen community and youth officers are responsible for promoting, developing and co-ordinating community and youth services in their districts. They also assist in the implementation of territory-wide programmes such as the Summer Youth Programme and the Chinese New Year Programme, organised by the Central Co-ordinating Committee for Youth Recreation. Also operating within the