SUNDAY, MAY 8, 1983
REPORT ON SHELTERED WORKSHOPS FOR DISABLED
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A REPORT EXAMINING THE ROLES AND OBJECTIVES OF HONG KONG'S SHELTERED WORKSHOPS FOR THE DISABLED WILL SHORTLY BE SUBMITTED TO THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THE REPORT HAS BEEN PREPARED BY A WORKING PARTY SET UP IN JUNE 1981 BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THE WORKING PARTY CONDUCTED A DETAILED SURVEY OF HONG KONG'S 18 SHELTERED WORKSHOPS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPERIENCE OF SEVEN COUNTRIES IN THIS PROFESSIONAL FIELD.
ON THE BASIS OF THIS SURVEY, THE WORKING PARTY RECOMMENDS THE ACCELERATED PROVISION OF PLACES IN SHELTERED WORKSHOPS FROM AN ADDITIONAL 300 PLACES A YEAR TO AN AVERAGE OF 550 PLACES ANNUALLY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THE REPORT SAYS THAT THIS PROVISION WILL ALMOST TREBLE THE PRESENT 1 654 PLACES OVER THE PERIOD, AND WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS SATISFYING THE THEORETICAL DEMAND OF 14 441 PLACES IN THE LONG TERM.
IT ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT IN DUE COURSE, TWO NEW PILOT SHELTERED WORKSHOPS BE ESTABLISHED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO CATER FOR CERTAIN DISABLED PERSONS.
THESE PERSONS, THOUGH UNABLE BY NATURE OF THEIR DISABILITY TO ENTER INTO OPEN EMPLOYMENT, ARE ABLE TO ATTAIN HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY IN THEIR WORK THÁN NORMAL SHELTERED WORKSHOP WORKERS.
THESE PRODUCTION-ORIENTED WORKSHOPS, IT IS RECOMMENDED, WILL EXTEND INTO NEW AREAS OF WORK OF A MORE CHALLENGING AND REWARDING NATURE, MOVING AWAY FROM RELIANCE ON THE SIMPLE AND REPETITIVE SUB-ASSEMBLY WORK CARRIED OUT IN THE MAJORITY OF THE EXISTING 18 SHELTERED WORKSHOPS.
ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDATION, THE MORE CAPABLE DISABLED PEOPLE ARE TO BE CHANNELLED INTO OPEN EMPLOYMENT.
THIS WILL BE DONE THROUGH AN IMPROVED REFERRAL SYSTEM RECOMMENDED FOR USE BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE.
THOSE WHO HAVE NO CHANCE OF REACHING A PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF AN ABLE-BODIED PERSON WILL BE GIVEN RETRAINING OR MORE SUITABLE SERVICES IN WORK ACTIVITY CENTRES OPERATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.
TO PROVIDE MORE APPROPRIATE REFERRALS, THE WORKING PARTY HAS DEVISED A MORE RATIONAL AND OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, DRAWING ON OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE.
/THE REPORT