FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 10-
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+GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THIS GROUP AND CO-ORDINATES SERVICES UNDER ONE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME PLAN, HE SAID, ADDING THAT IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR 9841 MILLION IS EARMARKED FOR REHABILITATION SERVICES.
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THESE RANGE FROM EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF MEDICAL DEFECTS TO SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES, SPECIAL SCHOOLS VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WORK ACTIVITY CENTRES, SHELTERED WORKSHOPS, RESIDENTIAL HOMES, AND MEDICAL REHABILITATION.
TO ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF SECURING GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR THE HANDICAPPED, THE GOVERNMENT MUST CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LEAD IN PLACING THE DISABLED IN APPROPRIATE JOBS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR LEWIS POINTED OUT.
AS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN HONG KONG, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYS 1 428 DISABLED PERSONS, OVER TWICE AS MANY AS THREE YEARS AGO, AND CAN STILL DO BETTER, HE ADDED.
+ IT IS GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO PLACE THE DISABLED IN APPROPRIATE JOBS WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AND DISABLED PERSONS APPLYING FOR APPOINTMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE ARE CONSIDERED ON EQUAL TERMS AS OTHER APPLICANTS.
+ IF THEY ARE FOUND SUITABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT, THEY ARE GIVEN AN APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF PREFERENCE FOR APPOINTMENT OVER OTHER APPLICANTS,+ MR LEWIS SAID.
ELABORATING ON THE RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE FOR THE DISABLED, THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE IN CHARGE OF APPOINTMENTS, MR PETER LAI, SAID THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH MADE IT A PRACTICE TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND THE SELECTION INTERVIEWS OF DISABLED APPLICANTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE GIVEN DUE AND SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION.
+ IF A DISABLED CANDIDATE IS NOT SELECTED, THE SELECTION BOARD'S FINDINGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED BY AN OFFICER AT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LEVEL OR ABOVE WHO WILL DECIDE WHETHER THE FINDINGS SHOULD BE ACCEPTED OR THE SELECTION BOARD SHOULD BE ASKED TO RECONSIDER THEM, HE ADDED.
DESCRIBING THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DISABLED OFFICERS EMPLOYED IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AS ENCOURAGING, HE NEVERTHELESS DISCLOSED THAT WAYS AND MEANS OF BOOSTING THE FIGURE WERE BEING EXPLORED.
ANOTHER PANELIST, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, MR J.R. DEVEREUX, BRIEFED PARTICIPANTS ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING FOR THE DISABLED.
MR DEVEREUX DISCLOSED THAT ALL NEW TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, AND THERE ARE THREE IN THE PIPELINE, WOULD BE BUILT WITH SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED.
→IN ADDITION WE HAVE SET ASIDE $2 MILLION TO BE SPENT ON MODIFYING AND IMPROVING THE OTHER EXISTING TECHNICAL INSTITUTES TO PROVIDE FREE ACCESS FOR DISABLED STUDENTS, HE NOTED.
/GOVERNMENT IS ...................