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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1984
+EMPLOYERS OR BOSSES DO NOT NEED TO LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE TO EMPLOY DEAF PEOPLE. MANY PARTIALLY DEAF HAVE HEARING AIDS, AND FOR THE COMPLETELY DEAF SIMPLE SIGNS WILL BE ENOUGH TO ENABLE THEM TO PERFORM ADEQUATELY, HE POINTED OUT.
MR LEWIS SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED MIGHT HAVE TROUBLE INTELLECTUALLY, THEY COULD WORK HARD JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
DRAWING ON EXPERIENCE IN HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS, HE SAID THAT ONCE A DISABLED PERSON HAD SETTLED INTO A JOB AT THE RIGHT LEVEL, HE WOULD BE LIKELY TO BE MORE LOYAL TO HIS EMPLOYER THAN ANY OF HIS ABLE-BODIED COLLEAGUES.
THE GOVERNMENT, BEING HONG KONG'S LARGEST EMPLOYER, PLAYS A LEADING ROLE IN PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DISABLED BY TAKING ON SOME 1 428 SUCH WORKERS OVER TWICE AS MANY AS THREE YEARS AGO.
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MR LEWIS SAID THAT DISABLED PERSONS APPLYING FOR APPOINTMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE ARE CONSIDERED ON EQUAL TERMS AS OTHER APPLICANTS AND IF FOUND SUITABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT, THEY WOULD BE GIVEN AN APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF PREFERENCE FOR APPOINTMENT OVER OTHER APPLICANTS.
+AS FOR PROMOTION, ALL ELIGIBLE OFFICERS, INCLUDING DISABLED OFFICERS, ARE CONSIDERED ON EQUAL TERMS, AND SELECTION FOR PROMOTION IS DECIDED ON THE CRITERIA OF CHARACTER, ABILITY, QUALIFICATIONS OR EXPERIENCE PRESCRIBED FOR THE PROMOTION RANK, + HE SAID.
CALLING ON ALL EMPLOYERS TO HELP ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF INTEGRATING THE DISABLED INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT, MR LEWIS SAID THEY SHOULD UTILISE THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
THE SERVICE PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED JOB-SEEKERS AND WILL SOON COVER THE MENTALLY RETARDED AND THE EX-MENTALLY ILL AS WELL.
IT IS CURRENTLY OPERATING FROM TWO OFFICES, ONE IN DOMINION CENTRE IN WAN CHAI AND THE OTHER IN AMOY PLAZA IN NGAU TAU KOK, AND WILL HAVE A THIRD OFFICE SHORTLY IN TSUEN WAN.
MR LEWIS OUTLINED THE DUTIES OF THE PLACEMENT OFFICERS WHICH INCLUDE JOB-MATCHING, ACCOMPANYING QUALIFIED AND INTERESTED DISABLED PERSONS AT SELECTION INTERVIEWS AND REGULAR FOLLOW-UP VISITS TO KEEP TRACK OF NEW APPOINTEES' PROGRESS IN THEIR JOBS AND TO HELP BOTH PARTIES CLEAR ANY MISUNDERSTANDING WHICH MAY ARISE DURING THE INITIAL EMPLOYMENT PERIOD.
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