XN000022-1974-10-24 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1974.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF SOCIETY TOWARDS HANDICAPPED PEOPLE

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PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE HANDICAPPED ARE CHANGING AND THIS IS LEADING TO BETTER CO-ORDINATED EFFORTS IN FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR THEM, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, SAID TODAY.

+ THE PUBLIC IS BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND HANDICAPPED PEOPLE BETTER AND TO RECOGNISE THEIR RIGHTFUL STATUS IN SOCIETY AS WELL AS THE CONTRIBUTORY ECONOMIC ROLE THEY MIGHT PLAY,+ HE SAID.

THIS CHANGE OF ATTITUDE HAS GIVEN FIRM DIRECTION TO THOSE IN THE WELFARE FIELD AS REGARDS THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF REHABILITATION WORK, MR. LEE TOLD THE TAI PING SHAN LION'S CLUB AT ITS LUNCHEON MEETING.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF REHABILITATION, HE POINTED OUT, WERE TO PROVIDE HANDICAPPED PEOPLE THE BLIND, THE DEAF, THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED, THE MENTALLY-RETARDED AND EX-MENTAL PATIENTS WITH SUITABLE CARE, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND CAREER GUIDANCE.

+THE ULTIMATE AIM IS TO RESTORE AND DEVELOP THE POWER OF PERFORMANCE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL TO THE BEST OF HIS CAPACITY. MUCH AS THIS KIND OF WELFARE WORK ESTABLISHES THE PERSONAL RIGHTS OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, IT ALSO REFLECTS THE CHANGING ATTITUDE OF SOCIETY TOWARDS THE RECOGNITION OF THE EXISTENCE OF THESE LESS FORTUNATE ONES.+

IN THE PAST, HE NOTED, MANY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WERE ABANDONED BY BOTH THEIR FAMILIES AND SOCIETY ALIKE BECAUSE THE PUBLIC PRESUMPTION WAS THAT THOSE WHO SUFFERED FROM PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DEFORMITIES WERE USELESS MEMBERS OF SOCIETY UNABLE TO MAKE ANY CONTRIBUTION AND WERE SUCKING OUT ITS RESOURCES INSTEAD.

BUT RAPID SOCIAL PROGRESS, THE SPREAD OF EDUCATION AND MASS COMMUNICATION COUPLED WITH THE INCREASE IN ECONOMIC NEEDS, HAS BROUGHT ABOUT A GRADUAL RE-ASSESSMENT OF THE POSITION OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN LABELLED +SOCIETY'S BURDEN+.

MR. LEE TOLD THE MEETING THAT THOUGH REHABILITATION WORK WAS EXPANDING ALL THE TIME, THERE WERE STILL SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THESE PEOPLE SUCH AS BELIEF THAT DEFORMITY WAS PUNISHMENT IMPOSED ON THE PRESENT GENERATION BECAUSE OF THE MISDEEDS OF THEIR FORBEARS OR THAT MEETING A BLIND MAN WAS AN ILL OMEN.

+WHATEVER THESE IRRATIONAL NOTIONS MIGHT BE, IT MUST BE POINTED OUT THAT OVER-PAMPERING OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE OR JUST LEAVING THEM TO THEMSELVES COULD IN NO WAY ASSIST THE IR REHABILITATION.+

/MR. LEE