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THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1985
SHE TOLD THE HANDICAPPED: DO NOT FOCUS TOO MUCH ON YOUR VULNERABILITY AND THEREBY MISS YOUR STRENGTHS. MAKE ROOM IN YOUR LIVES FOR OTHER CONCERNS AND ALLOW THOSE AROUND YOU TO SHARE IN YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.+
WH LE SELF-SUFFICIENCY SHOULD BE EVERYONE'S GOAL, MRS CHAN NOTED THAT MAN DEPENDED ON HIS FELLOW MEN AND THAT THIS INTER- DEPENDENCE WAS WHAT GAVE STRENGTH TO OUR SOCIETY.
+ IT IS A PITY THAT IN THE PROCESS OF GROWING UP, AND IN OUR ANXIETY TO CONFORM, WE LOSE SOME OF OUR MORE ADMIRABLE NATURAL QUALITIES OF SPONTANEITY AND UNSELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, SHE SAID.
+WE GROW SHY OF TRYING, ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS, OR OF SEEKING HELP. THIS IS AS TRUE OF THE PERSON WITHOUT PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS AS IT IS OF THE HANDICAPPED PERSON.+
RELATING TO OTHERS IN A POSITIVE AND MUTUALLY SUPPORTING MANNER WAS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF SELF-REHABILITATION.
+MANY FAMILIES WITH HANDICAPPED MEMBERS HAVE FOUND THAT WITH OPENNESS AND GENUINE SHARING, ALL CAN UNCOVER NEWFOUND STRENGTHS AND BONDS,+ MRS CHAN SAID.
THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE SET-BACKS AND FRUSTRATIONS IN LIFE, SHE SAID, ADDING THAT MUCH DEPENDED ON HOW ONE TOLERATED AND ADJUSTED TO THEM WHILE HOLDING FAST TO ONE'S GOAL.
+THE POTENCY OF EXPECTATIONS HAS BEEN PROVED TIME AND AGAIN THOSE WHO EXPECT TO SUCCEED, DO THOSE WHO EXPECT TO FAIL, FAIL, SHE SAID,
+
MRS CHAN RECALLED THAT LAST NOVEMBER, AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF VIGOROUS TRAINING, A GROUP OF HONG KONG YOUTHS SCALED THE 5 980- METRE ISLAND PEAK IN THE HIMALAYAS TO BECOME THE FIRST PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED TEAM IN THE WORLD TO CONQUER THIS HEIGHT.
+THIS OPERATION,+ MRS CHAN SAID, +1S AN ELOQUENT TESTIMONY TO THE CAPABILITIES AND UNYIELDING SPIRIT OF THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED.+
SHE PAID TRIBUTE TO THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF HANDICAPPED YOUTH AND DESCRIBED IT AS A FINE LIVING EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE HANDICAPPED CAN ACHIEVE THROUGH SELF-REHABILITATION+.
+FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN THE EARLY 1970S WITH A SMALL MEMBERSHIP OF 100, THE FEDERATION HAS NOW BECOME A VIBRANT ORGANISATION OF 1'000 MEMBERS WHO ARE DETERMINED TO HELP THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER INTEGRATE INTO THE COMMUNITY,+ SHE SAID.
THE FEDERATION'S SELF-SUPPORTING PROJECTS INCLUDE A HOSTEL FOR SINGLE HANDICAPPED YOUTHS, A WORKSHOP AND A DRIVING SCHOOL FOR THE DISABLED.
IN ADDITION, IT ALSO OPERATES A SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL CENTRE. +THE COURAGE, DETERMINATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FEDERATION CANNOT BUT COMMAND OUR RESPECT AND ADMIRATION,+ MRS CHAN SAID.
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