THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1982
24
CENTRAL REGISTRY FOR THE DISABLED TO BE SET UP
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WORK HAS BEGUN ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTRAL REGISTRY FOR THE DISABLED IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
THE MAIN PURPOSE OF SETTING UP A CENTRAL REGISTRY, WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION, IS TO PROVIDE THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS WITH COMPREHENSIVE AND RELIABLE DATA ABOUT THE DISABLED POPULATION SO AS TO HELP THEM IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES IN HONG KONG.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE OF THE CENTRAL REGISTRY IS TO SPEED UP THE PROVISION OF SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO THE IR CLIENTS BY ENABLING THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE PERSONAL PARTICULARS, MEDICAL HISTORY AND OTHER DETAILS OF A DISABLED PERSON.
SUCH INFORMATION WILL ALSO BE USEFUL FOR RESEARCH WORK SUCH AS INTO THE CAUSES OF DISABILITIES, SO THAT MORE EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE AND REHABILITATIVE MEASURES COULD BE DEVISED.
ALL INFORMATION STORED IN THE CENTRAL REGISTRY WILL BE TREATED AS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL ONLY BE DIVULGED TO AUTHORISED PERSONNEL WORKING IN THE REHABILITATION FIELD WHETHER
IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO FACILITATE THE PROVISION OF MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICES TO THE DISABLED, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN STRESSED.
INCLUDED IN THE CENTRAL REGISTRY WILL BE INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF DISABILITIES:
* THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY-SIGHTED-
* THE DEAF AND PARTIALLY-HEARING-
* THE MENTALLY ILL-
* THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED=
* SLOW LEARNING AND MALADJUSTED CHILDREN-
* THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED.
THE CENTRAL REGISTRY WILL BE DEVELOPED IN THREE STAGES.
THE FIRST IS THE CONVERSION STAGE+, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF RECORDS OF DISABLED PERSONS NOW STORED IN THE FILES OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY. THE SECOND STAGE WILL INVOLVE THE MATCHING AND COLLATION OF DATA WHICH WILL BE DONE CENTRALLY, THE THIRD AND FINAL STAGE WILL BE THE CREATION OF PERMANENT RECORDS FOR THE CENTRAL REGISTRY.
THE WHOLE