WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1987
40
PLACEMENT SERVICE OF DISABLED EMPLOYEES WORKING WELL
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THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A RECENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE HÒNG KÔNG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE SUGGESTED THAT 9A, OR 27 PER CENT, OUT OF A SAMPLE OF 349 BLIND PEOPLE IN THE 15-60 AGE BRACKET MIGHT BE UNEMPLOYED, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PAULINE NG, MR BRIDGE SAID THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER LAST YEAR ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE DISABLED ON BEHALF OF THE REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE.
IN 1980 A SPECIAL DIVISION WAS SET UP IN THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE THE EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE BLIND, + HE ADDED.
MR BRIDGE SAID THE DIVISION TRIED TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AVARENESS OF THE WORKING ABILITIES OF THE DISABLED THROUGH THE MASS MEDIA : TO MAINTAIN CLOSE CONTACT WITH INDUSTRY AND TO CONDUCT STUDIES TO İDENTİFY SUITABLE TYPES OF JOBS FOR THE DISABLED.
HE ADDED THAT THE DIVISION ALSO TRIED TO SOLICIT JOB VACANCIES FOR THE DISABLED BY VISITING AND WRITING TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS : TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR EACH JOB; AND TO ENCOURAGE EMPLOYERS BY MAKING AWARDS TO THOSE WHO EMPLOY THE MOST; AND PUBLICISING THEIR EFFORTS AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS.
+SINCE THE DIVISION WAS ESTABLISHED IN JULY 1980 IT HAS MANAGE TO PLACE ABOUT 4 500 DISABLED PEOPLE, OF WHOM ABOUT 400 WERE BLIND, MR BRIDGE SAID.
HE SAID THIS NUMBER MIGHT SEEM DISAPPOINTINGLY SMALL. BUT SEEING HOW DIFFICULT IT COULD BE FOR THOSE WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES TO FIND JOBS AND THAT SO MANY BLIND PEOPLE HAD MANAGED TO DO SO HE STRESSED THIS NUMBER HAD REFLECTED WELL BOTH ON THEIR OWN EFFORTS AND ON THOSE OF VARIOUS AGENCIES IN BOTH PRIVATE SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT.
+] KNOW THAT EVERY SUCH PLACEMENT REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF DEDICATION AND HARD WORK ON THE PART OF ALL CONCERNED, HE ADDED.
MR BRIDGE ALSO SAID IN 1902 À TECHNICAL AID AND RESOURCÉ CENTRE WAS SET UP IN THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DEPARTMENT.
+ITS PURPOSE IŠ TO DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE EQUIPMENT OR TO ADAPT MACHINES TO ENABLE DISABLED PEOPLE TO BE TRAINED FOR, AND WORK IN, A WIDER RANGE OF JOBS,+ HE EXPLAINED.
+THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR REHABILITATION RUNS A FUND WHICH PROVIDES GRANTS TO DISABLED WORKERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS FOR THE ADAPTATION OF MACHINERY OR PREMISES AND THE MANUFACTURE OR DIRECT PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD ENABLE A DISABLED PERSON TO MAKE FULLER USE OF HIS WORKING ABILITY, HE ADDED.
MR BRIDGE