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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1976
EMPLOYERS OF DISABLED WORKERS PRAISED ******
THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. JIMMY SWEETMAN, TODAY PRAISED EMPLOYERS OF DISABLED WORKERS WHO HAVE PROVIDED THE +ULTIMATE LINK IN THE LONG CHAIN OF DIFFICULT PROCESSES IN REHABILITATION WORK+.
HE ADDED THAT THEY HAD COMPLETED THE WORK STARTED BY DOCTORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS IN GIVING THE DISABLED THEIR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE.
MR. SWEETMAN WAS SPEAKING AT THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF 17 COMPANIES WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE DISABLED.
BY PROVIDING JOBS FOR THE DISABLED, HE SAID, THE EMPLOYERS NOT ONLY PUT THEM BACK INTO THE MAIN STREAM OF THE COMMUNITY LIFE, AND RETURNED TO THEM THEIR DIGNITY AND THEIR RIGHT TO WORK, BUT DEMONSTRATED TO THE COMMUNITY THEIR FAITH AND SUPPORT IN THE EFFORT TO REHABILITATE THE DISABLED.
A TOTAL OF 2,296 DISABLED WORKERS HAVE BEEN PUT TO WORK BY THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE UNIT WAS SET UP IN 1967.
+THE RECORD FOR MAY AND JUNE OF THIS YEAR WAS PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGING, TOTALLING 131 FOR TWO MONTHS, HE SAID. +QUITE APART FROM THE INCREASED SOCIAL SATISFACTION OF THE DISABLED PERSON WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN A JOB, THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS ARE SUBSTANTIAL.+
+ IF WE ASSUME THAT EACH DISABLED PERSON PLACED BY THE UNIT IN EMPLOYMENT WORKS FOR THREE YEARS - A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE - THE TOTAL WAGES EARNED BY THESE 2,300 DISABLED PERSONS AMOUNT TO AT LEAST $33 MILLION, NO MEAN FIGURE.+
FINALLY, HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE GUESTS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, REHABILITATION CIRCLES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE ATTENDING THE FUNCTION WOULD MAKE THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE IDEAS ON HOW BEST THEY COULD LOCATE AND SECURE MORE JOBS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR THE VARIOUS GROUPS OF THE DISABLED.
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