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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1983
REGISTRY OF THE DISABLED TO BE COMPUTERISED
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INFORMATION ON THE NEEDS OF THE HANDICAPPED WILL BE MORE READILY AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR WHEN A COMPUTER I SED SYSTEM IS INTRODUCED IN THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF THE DISABLED.
THE SYSTEM WILL ENABLE THE REGISTRY TO MAINTAIN AN ACCURATE, UP-TO-DATE MASTER RECORD OF THE DISABLED AND TO PROVIDE STATISTICAL AND ANALYTICAL TABLES FOR RESEARCH AND FOR PLANNING AND MONITORING REHABILITATION SERVICES.
THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF THE DISABLED IS PART OF THE REHABILITATION DIVISION OF THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH.
IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN APRIL LAST YEAR TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE ESTIMATED 400 000 DISABLED PERSONS IN HONG KONG, DATA PREVIOUSLY FRAGMENTED AND LACKING IN UNIFORMITY.
THE COMPUTERISATION OF THE RECORDS OF THE REGISTRY WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT COMPUTER COMMITTEE FOLLOWING A FEASIBILITY STUDY BY THE GOVERNMENT DATA PROCESSING AGENCY.
THE REGISTRY KEEPS RECORDS OF THE BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED THE DEAF AND PARTIALLY HEARING, THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, THE MENTALLY ILL, THE EX-MENTALLY ILL AND THOSE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES OF VARIOUS KINDS. THE INFORMATION IS OBTAINED FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES PROVIDING REHABILITATION SERVICES.
SO FAR THE REGISTRY HAS OBTAINED INFORMATION ON ABOUT 100 000 DISABLED PERSONS AND COMPILED RELEVANT DATA FOR RECORD PURPOSES ON ABOUT 16 000 OF THEM. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE 100 000 CASES WILL BE COMPLETED BY JULY THIS YEAR.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR A MANUALLY OPERATED SYSTEM TO COPE WITH THE NEED TO UPDATE EXISTING RECORDS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WITH THE NEW CASES THAT WILL BE NOTIFIED TO THE REGISTRY. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THESE NEW CASES WILL NUMBER SOME 150 000 OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPUTERISED SYSTEM, THE CENTRAL REGISTRY WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING SERVICES FOR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TAKING PART IN THIS SCHEME:
* AN ENQUIRY SERVICE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON A DISABLED PERSON REQUIRED BY A DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY TO FACILITATE THE PROVISION OF SERVICE TO THAT PERSON; AND
* THE REGULAR PRODUCTION OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON THE
DISABLED POPULATION TO ASSIST DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO ANALYSE THE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISABLED POPULATION IN HONG KONG IN ORDER TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES.
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