WELFARE FOR THE BLIND
Tuesday, April 6, 1976
The Director of Social Welfare, Mr. Thomas Lee, today praised the
public for their support for welfare services promoted by the Government and
voluntary welfare agencies for the blind.
Mr. Lee was speaking at a luncheon meeting of the Lions Club of
South Kowloon, at which a cheque for $5,000 was presented by the Club to the
Hong Kong Federation of the Blind.
The Director noted that the Government and voluntary agencies had
been promoting welfare services for the blind since the close of the 19th
century.
Mission.
A home to accommodate blind children was set up by the Canossian
Later on, the Ebenezer School and Home for the Blind and the Canossian
School for the Visually Disabled were established one after the other to
provide education for them. "The Government, apart from subsidising these
two schools, helps other blind children to attend ordinary schools and supplies
Braille reading materials," he said.
With Government assistance, he continued, the Hong Kong Society for
the Blind ran a workshop, a rehabilitation and training centre, a hostel, and
an old people's home for the blind.
The Social Welfare Department is responsible for registering blind
people and helps them to solve problems such as on accomodation, vocational
training and employment. The department also runs three centres where
sheltered work facilities and other services are provided for blind adults,'
Mr. Lee said.
The Hong Kong Federation of the Blind, founded in 1972, was formed
by the blind people themselves to promote mutual help and co-operation and
to organise cultural and recreational activities.
/Mr. Lee