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MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1979
SWD OFFICER RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD
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A SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY) BECAME THE FIRST BLIND WOMAN IN ASIA TO RECEIVE AN INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN THE FIELD OF WELFARE FOR THE BLIND.
AT A CEREMONY HELD IN THE SHERATON HOTEL, A JOYFUL MISS LUCY CHING RECEIVED THE 1979 TAKEO (WAHASHI AWARD FROM THE JAPANESE CONSUL GENERAL, MR. EIJIRO NODA.
FOUR YEARS AGO, MISS CHING SCORED ANOTHER DISTINCTION IN BEING THE FIRST BLIND WOMAN IN HONG KONG TO RECEIVE THE MEMBER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE) AWARD.
THE TAKEO IWAHASHI AWARD IS GIVEN EACH YEAR BY THE COMMITTEE ON ASIAN AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD COUNCIL FOR THE WELFARE OF THE BLIND TO AN OUTSTANDING WORKER, SIGHTED OR BLIND, IN SERVICES FOR THE VISUALLY DISABLED.
SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, SAID MISS CHING HAD FOR LONG BEEN ACTIVE IN THE FIELD OF WELFARE FOR THE BLIND BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT.
MR. LEE SAID THAT DESPITE HER DISABILITY WHICH UNFORTUNATELY BEFELL HER AT THE AGE OF SIX MONTHS, SHE HAD PRESENTED HERSELF AS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF HOW A BLIND PERSON COULD LEAD AS FULL AND USEFUL A LIFE AS A SIGHTED PERSON.
SHE FINISHED HER SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG AND SPENT ANOTHER THREE YEARS STUDYING THE TEACHING OF THE BLIND IN THE UNITED STATES ON A SCHOLARSHIP. SHE RETURNED TO HONG KONG AND JOINED THE DEPARTMENT WORKING IN A TRAINING CENTRE FOR THE BLIND 20 YEARS AGO.
MR. LEE DESCRIBED HER AS A +CHEERFUL AND FRIENDLY COLLEAGUE, CAPABLE AND DEDICATED TO HER WORK. SHE IS NOW THE DEPARTMENT'S REHABILITATION LIAISON OFFICER FOR THE DISTRICTS OF CENTRAL, WESTERN AND THE ISLANDS.
IN HER OWN TIME, HE SAID, MISS CHING IS ALSO ACTIVE IN PROMOTING SERVICES FOR THE VISUALLY DISABLED BY DOING VOLUNTARY WORK.
+HER COURAGE AND DETERMINATION IN OVERCOMING HER DISABILITY, AS WELL AS HER ACHIEVEMENTS, MUST SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER BLIND PEOPLE AND TO THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH THE WELFARE OF THE BLIND, HE SAID.
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