Social Welfare 205
Services for Children with Disabilities
At year-end, there were 1860 integrated programme places in kindergarten- cum-child care centres, 1 622 places in special child care centres (including 110 residential places), and 2 363 places in early education and training centres for children with disabilities. In addition, 64 places in small group homes were provided for mildly mentally handicapped children who could not be adequately cared for by their families.
Services for Adults with Disabilities
To develop the potential of persons with disabilities, 1 645 supported employment places were made available for them to work in open settings with support and assistance. In addition, 432 places for persons with disabilities created under the On the Job Training Programme for People with Disabilities and 311 places for young persons with disabilities or early signs of mental illness under the Sunnyway On the Job Training Programme for Young People with Disabilities were made available to assist them in securing jobs. Those not yet ready to compete for work in the open market were accommodated in sheltered workshops where 5 133 places were provided. There was also a total of 453 places in integrated vocational training centres and 4023 places in integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres.
To improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, a funding of about $38 million was allocated to 23 NGOs to enable them to set up 63 small businesses providing over 500 job opportunities for persons with disabilities under a project called 'Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities Through Small Enterprise'. In tandem, the Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) assisted vocational rehabilitation services units in developing their marketing and business strategies and employment-aided services.
Day activity centres provided 4 632 places where persons with intellectual disability were trained to live independently.
There were 7 769 places in hostels and care homes providing residential care services for persons with disabilities who were unable to live independently in the community, or whose families could not care for them adequately. Elderly blind persons were provided with 825 places in care homes. For discharged mental patients, 1 509 places were provided in halfway houses and 1 507 in long stay care homes.
Professional Back-up and Support Services
Support services provided by clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are available to persons with disabilities in rehabilitation day centres. and hostels. A speech therapy service is also available to children attending pre- school rehabilitation centres.
A range of community support services is available for persons with disabilities and their families/carers including those ex-mentally ill patients, living in the community. These included district support centres for persons with disabilities,