MONDAY, MAY 23, 1983
7
GREATER EFFORT TO INTEGRATE DISABLED URGED
*****
HONG KONG SHOULD KEEP UP ITS EFFORTS IN THE PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN REHABILITATION, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS, DR HARRY FANG, SAID TODAY.
IN PRESENTING THE COMMITTEE REPORT, DR FANG SAID WHILE WE MIGHT BE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF WHAT WAS ACHIEVED IN 1981, WE MUST NOT BE COMPLACENT.
+THIS IS BECAUSE THE YEAR REALLY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF OUR ON-GOING PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN REHABILITATION.
+FURTHER DETERMINED EFFORTS BY EVERYONE, BOTH ABLE-BODIED AND DISABLED, WILL BE ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO TRULY SUCCEED
IN INTEGRATING THE DISABLED MEMBERS INTO OUR COMMUNITY, HE SAID.
DR FANG ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED TO THE VARIOUS EVENTS HELD IN HONG KONG DURING THE YEAR.
+TOGETHER THEY PROVIDED THE FOCUS FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, PARTICIPATION AND EDUCATION DURING THE YEAR, + HE SAID.
DR FANG SAID THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT THEY CREATED WAS SIGNIFICANT: SOME 400 000 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN ONE OR MORE OF THESE EVENTS, LET ALONE THE MANY MORE WHO MUST HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE IR ORGANISATION OR WHO MIGHT HAVE WATCHED THEM ON TELEVISION.
+PERHAPS OF GREATER SIGNIFICANCE WILL BE THEIR LONGER-TERM EFFECTS ON THE ATTITUDES OF THE COMMUNITY TOWARDS ITS DISABLED MEMBERS. THESE EFFECTS ARE LIKELY TO BE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN AT PRESENT BUT ARE EXPECTED TO MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN THE YEARS TO COME.+
THE REPORT, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED TODAY, ALSO CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF SOME 250 ACTIVITIES CO-ORDINATED BY THE COMMITTEE DURING THE YEAR.
COPIES OF THE REPORT CAN NOW BE OBTAINED FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AND ALL DISTRICT OFFICES.
/8