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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1983
MEETING NEEDS OF THE DISABLED
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS JUST COMMISSIONED A SURVEY TO IDENTIFY AND QUANTIFY THE TRANSPORT NEEDS OF THE DISABLED, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE NEEDS ARE BEING MET AND THE SHORTFALL, A SENIOR GOVERNMENT SOCIAL WORK OFFICER, MR C.M. LEUNG, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
MR LEUNG WAS SPEAKING AT THE 1983 FAR EASTERN REGIONAL CAMP OF HANDICAPPED YOUTH ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF HANDICAPPED YOUTH AT THE LADY MACLEHOSE CENTRE IN POKFULAM.
OUTLINING THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH THE NEEDS OF THE DISABLED WERE MET, HE SAID THAT FOLLOWING A SERIES OF ACCESS SURVEYS, THE GOVERNMENT TOOK STEPS TO MAKE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED.
+ALSO, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PREPARED A CODE OF PRACTICE ON THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HANDICAPPED SO AS TO FACILITATE THE DISABLED WITH LOCOMOTIVE CAPABILITY IN GOING TO WORK, TREATMENT, TRAINING AND OTHER DAILY ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO THEIR REHABILITATION AND INTEGRATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, HE ADDED.
MR LEUNG SAID THAT IF A DEFECT OR ABNORMALITY WAS SUSPECTED A CHILD WOULD BE REFERRED TO A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CHILD ASSESSMENT CENTRE.
SIX SUCH CENTRES, SERVING ALL PARTS OF HONG KONG, ARE PLANNED FOR COMPLETION BY 1986.
HE ALSO SAID 360 PLACES WERE PROVIDED IN SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES AND 366 PLACES IN ORDINARY CHILD CARE CENTRES AS PART OF A PROGRAMME TO INTEGRATE CHILDREN WHO HAVE LESS SEVERE DISABILITIES, WITH NORMAL CHILDREN.
+PRESENT PLANNING, HE SAID, +PROVIDES FOR THESE NUMBERS TO INCREASE BY 120 AND 90 PER ANNUM.+
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, MR LEUNG SAID, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CO-ORDINATING PROGRAMMES TO PROVIDE NINE YEARS OF FREE GENERAL EDUCATION FOR DISABLED CHILDREN, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR DEGREE OF HANDICAP.
REFERRING TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING, MR LEUNG SAID THAT THIS WOULD, WHERE POSSIBLE, TAKE PLACE IN ORDINARY TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, BUT SPECIAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES WERE ALSO PROVIDED.
HE SAID THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE RECENTLY TOOK OVER FROM THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ASSISTING THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, BLIND AND DEAF PERSONS TO FIND SUITABLE OPEN EMPLOYMENT,
THE SOCIAL