FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1975
TWO BLIND TELEPHONE OPERATORS GET GUIDE DOGS
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TWO BLIND GOVERNMENT TELEPHONE OPERATORS WILL SOON BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND TWON WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SPECIALLY TRAINED GUIDE DOGS.
MR. FRANK LOO OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AND MR. JIMMY YAN OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT WILL BE THE FIRST BLIND PERSONS IN HONG KONG TO HAVE THEIR OWN GUIDE DOGS WHICH ARE BEING PROVIDED BY THE ROYAL GUIDE DOG FOR THE BLIND SOCIETY -- AN INTERNATIONAL- ORGANISATION.
THE TWO MEN ARE FLYING TO AUSTRALIA THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING TO MEET THEIR FUTURE GUIDES AND TO SPEND THREE WEEKS IN TRAINING WITH THEM AT THE NATIONAL GUIDE DOG AND MOBILE TRAINING CENTRE IN MELBOURNE.
THE TRIP IS BEING FINANCED BY THE AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION IN HONG KONG AND SPONSORED BY THE ROYAL GUIDE DOG FOR THE BLIND SOCIETY.
MR. LOO, 36, LOST HIS EYESIGHT ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO AFTER SUFFERING A HIGH TEMPERATURE. HE JOINED THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR IN 1964 AND NOW OPERATES THE DEPARTMENT'S 15-LINE EXCHANGE BOARD SINGLEHANDED. ON AVERAGE, HE HANDLES 300 INCOMING CALLS EVERY HOUR → TWICE THE USUAL NUMBER AN OPERATOR IS EXPECTED TO COPE WITH.
THE DEPARTMENT IS APPLYING FOR FUNDS FOR A NEW EXCHANGE NEXT YEAR WITH MORE OPERATORS, BUT IN THE MEANTIME THE PUBLIC IS URGED TO RESTRICT THEIR CALLS TO ESSENTIAL MATTERS.
MR. LOO IS IN FOR ANOTHER SURPRISE AFTER HIS RETURN FROM AUSTRALIA WHEN THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WILL PRESENT HIM WITH AN OFFICIAL COMMENDATION FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE.
MR. JIMMY YAN, 30, BECAME BLIND AT THE AGE OF THREE FOLLOWING A HIGH FEVER.
HE JOINED THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT IN 1967 AND NOW LIVES WITH HIS WIFE IN THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT STAFF QUARTERS IN WESTERN DISTRICT.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF A PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING MR. FRANK LOO AT A FAREWELL CEREMONY IN THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT OFFICES ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION.
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