THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1993
30
MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION NEEDED TO HELP DISABLED
SUSTAINED PUBLIC EDUCATION WILL BRING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF DISABLED PERSONS, MRS PATTEN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW PREMISES OF THE YUEN LONG MORNINGLIGHT SCHOOL.
SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD STEP UP ITS PUBLICITY EFFORT IN 1993/94 AND BEYOND.
"BUT GOVERNMENT EFFORTS ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH.
"EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY SHOULD PLAY AN ACTIVE PART IN SPREADING THE MESSAGE ABOUT UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING DISABLED PERSONS," SHE SAID.
MRS PATTEN
STRESSED THAT THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED INTO SOCIETY HINGED NOT ONLY ON THEIR ABILITY TO COPE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO ON PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEM.
"IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THERE IS STILL RESISTANCE IN
QUARTERS TO COMMUNITY.
INTEGRATING MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSONS INTO
SOME THE
"THIS OFTEN ARISES FROM INADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OR PREJUDICE CAUSED BY IGNORANCE, MRS PATTEN SAID.
+
SHE SAID THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANSWER TO DISPELLING MISCONCEPTIONS WAS FURTHER PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND MORE PUBLICITY THE GOOD WORK OF PEOPLE WHO SERVED THE DISABLED.
SUCH ABOUT
MRS
BY THE
IMPRESSED BY THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING AT FAIRVIEW PARK, PATTEN SAID IT MARKED THE CULMINATION OF YEARS OF HARD WORK STAFF OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED.
THE SCHOOL, STARTED WITH ONLY 40 PLACES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, HAS BEEN SERVING THE YUEN LONG AND NEARBY DISTRICTS SINCE 1981.
THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING, WHICH OFFERS BRAND-NEW FACILITIES, BRINGS 20 EXTRA SCHOOL PLACES TO CATER FOR DEMAND IN THE AREA.
AND BETTER THE GROWING
0
ADVICE FOR VISITORS TO CAMBODIA
ON THE ADVICE OF THE BRITISH MISSION IN PHNOM PENH, THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION TODAY (THURSDAY) ADVISED BRITISH NATIONALS AND HONG KONG RESIDENTS WHO WOULD BE TRAVELLING TO CAMBODIA THAT THERE HAD BEEN VIOLENT INCIDENTS THROUGHOUT CAMBODIA IN THE PRESENT UNSETTLED POLITICAL SITUATION.
"THERE IS NO THREAT TO BRITISH NATIONALS. AND HONG KONG RESIDENTS BUT CARE SHOULD BE EXERCISED HE SAID.
*
/BRITISH NATIONALS