SOCIAL WELFARE
mobile teams, as recommended by the Working Group, were set up in October 1997 for two years on a pilot basis.
Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities
Hong Kong has about 378 000 individuals with disabilities. The rehabilitation services provided by government departments and NGOs aim to integrate people with disabilities into the community and help them to fully develop their capabilities. These services are co-ordinated by the Commissioner for Rehabilitation, who conducts regular reviews of the Rehabilitation Programme Plan which projects the demand for and provision of various rehabilitation services over a planning period of five years.
Services for pre-school disabled children
At the end of the year, the department and NGOs altogether provided 1270 integrated programme places, 1 179 special child care places (including 78 residential places), 1 555 early education and training centre places for pre-school disabled children and 96 small group home places for school-aged disabled children. An enhanced training programme with inputs from clinical psychologists was also provided to autistic children in special child care centres.
Services for adults with disabilities
For adults with disabilities, there were 3 526 day activity centre places providing day care, daily living skills and work training. Furthermore, 6 215 sheltered workshop places provided employment for those unable to compete in the open job market. The Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) has been working actively to enhance the productivity and employment opportunities for people with disabilities with marketing approach. There were 1070 places in various supported employment schemes providing job opportunities for those who could manage in open work settings with support. In residential services, there were 4 433 hostel places, 17 supported housing places and 154 supported hostel places for those who could neither live independently nor be adequately cared for by their families, or who lived in areas too remote from their places of training or employment. For aged blind people who were unable to look after themselves adequately, or in need of care and åttention, 965 places were provided in homes and care-and-attention homes. For the residence and training of chronic and discharged mental patients, there were 570 long-stay care home places, 1 217 halfway house places and 180 activity centre places.
For people with different categories of disability and their family members, 22 social and recreational centres and six parents/relatives resource centres were provided.
Professional backup and support services
Professional backup from clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists was provided in rehabilitation day centres and hostels. Support services including respite service (short-term relief to families with mentally handicapped persons), occasional child-care service for children with disabilities, home-based training (for mentally handicapped persons awaiting placement), after- care service for dischargees of half-way houses, domiciliary occupational therapy
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