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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1982
EMPLOYERS OF DISABLED THANKED
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MORE EMPLOYERS HAVE BECOME CONFIDENT OF THE WORKING ABILITY OF THE DISABLED AND ARE OPENING THEIR DOORS TO GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVE THEMSELVES.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR J.N. HENDERSON, THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON WHEN HE PRESENTED SOUVENIRS TO 10 EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE EMPLOYED DISABLED PEOPLE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT'S SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE (SPS) AT A CEREMONY AT QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM.
OUT OF 885 DISABLED PEOPLE WHO CAME TO SEEK HELP, MR HENDERSON SAID, THE SPS ACHIEVED 434 PLACEMENTS IN THE INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND SERVICES SECTORS DURING THE PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 1981 TO LAST AUGUST. THIS FIGURE REPRESENTS CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS COMPARED WITH THE 344 PLACEMENTS OUT OF 1 033 REGISTRANTS MADE IN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS.
MR HENDERSON SAID: THIS CEREMONY IS OUR SMALL TOKEN OF APPRECIATION TO THOSE ENLIGHTENED EMPLOYERS WHO ARE NOT ONLY CHANGING THEIR IDEAS ABOUT THE DISABLED BUT ARE ALSO ACTING UPON THEM WITH THE HELP OF THE SPS.+
HE SAID THAT THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WAS CONFIDENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATING THE DISABLED INTO THE WORKING COMMUNITY.
THIS WAS BECAUSE MANY MORE EMPLOYERS WOULD GRADUALLY COME TO REALISE THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF THE DISABLED AND WOULD BE PREPARED TO AFFORD THEM MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVE THEIR WORTH.
MR HENDERSON SAID THAT WHILE MANY EMPLOYERS AND SENIOR MANAGERS STILL HAD MISGIVINGS ABOUT EMPLOYING DISABLED PERSONS AND WERE HESITANT TO OFFER THEM JOBS, A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE WAS TAKING PLACE.
+THIS SIMPLE, YET MEANINGFUL CEREMONY, IS OUR WAY OF TELLING ALL EMPLOYERS THAT DISABLED PEOPLE, GIVEN THE RIGHT JOBS, ARE LOYAL AND INDUSTRIOUS WORKERS AND OF CALLING THEM TO ACTION ON THEIR BEHALF,+ HE ADDED.
MR HENDERSON SAID RESISTANCE TO THE SPS'S EFFORTS WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GAIN A REALISTIC AND THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISABLED.
HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THROUGH THE WORK OF THE SPS AND PUBLICITY, THE RESISTANCE COULD BE REMOVED.
MR HENDERSON THEN OUTLINED MEASURES BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE SPS'S SERVICES.
LAST JULY, A NEW OFFICE WAS OPENED IN NGAU TAU KOK TO SERVE DISABLED PEOPLE LIVING IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. AT THE SAME TIME, ITS HONG KONG OFFICE WAS REPROVISIONED IN NEW PREMISES LACT PURUST, PROVIDING SERVICES TO ALL THOSE LIVING ON HONG KONG ISLAND.