XN000022-1976-03-22 — Page 2

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MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1976

MORE AND MORE EMPLOYERS TAKE ON DISABLED ******

MORE AND MORE DISABLED PEOPLE ARE MAKING THEMSELVES LESS DEPENDENT ON SOCIETY WITH THE HELP OF THE REHABILITATION DIVISION OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

A WIDE RANGE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING COURSES - MACHINE-SEWING, CARPENTRY, ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS, PRINTING, METAL WORK, GARDENING AND SHOE-MAKING - IS OFFERED BY THE DIVISION TO THOSE DISABLED PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BETTER THEMSELVES.

THE MAIN TRAINING CENTRES ARE THE WORLD REHABILITATION FUND DAY CENTRE, THE ABERDEEN REHABILITATION CENTRE AND THE KAI NANG TRAINING CENTRE.

MR. KHOO TAI-PIN, HEAD OF THE DIVISION SAID THE DISABLED LEARN HOW TO MAKE THE FULLEST USE OF THEIR SKILL THROUGH TRAINING AND THUS IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF FINDING EMPLOYMENT IN THE OPEN MARKET.+

IN 1975, 200 DISABLED WORKERS WERE SUCCESSFULLY PLACED IN VARIOUS TYPES OF WORK, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT OVER THE PRECEDING YEAR.

MR. KHOO POINTED OUT THAT EMPLOYMENT FOR THE DISABLED BEGAN TO PICK UP IN THE LAST QUARTER OF THE YEAR WITH JOBS FOUND FOR AN AVERAGE OF 33 PEOPLE EACH MONTH.

+WE ARE PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THIS PROMISING TREND CONTINUES IN THE NEW YEAR,+ HE ADDED. +JANUARY'S FIGURE WAS AS HIGH AS 44.+

AS IN THE PAST YEARS, THE DISABLED WERE MAINLY EMPLOYED AS MACHINE-SEWING WORKERS, GÉNERAL WORKERS, PRESS MACHINE OPERATORS AND ASSEMBLERS.

THEY WERE PAID AT A DAILY RATE OF $15 TO $20 OR AT A MONTHLY SALARY OF $300 TO $600 WHICH ARE STRICTLY ON A PAR WITH THE ABLE-BODIED WORKERS.

MR. KHOO BELIEVED THAT EMPLOYERS WERE BEGINNING TO REALISE THAT THEY HAD NOTHING TO LOSE BY EMPLOYING HANDICAPPED WORKERS.

+THE DISABLED ARE CAREFUL, STABLE AND THEY CONCENTRATE IN THEIR WORK, HE POINTED OUT.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE REHABILITATION DIVISION IS DOING ALL IT CAN TO HELP EMPLOYERS TO ACCOMMODATE HANDICAPPED STAFF IN THEIR ORGANISATIONS.

+ONE OF THE IDEAS WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE IS TO HAVE ONE SMALL UNIT IN A FACTORY TO BE MANNED ENTIRELY BY DISABLED WORKERS,+ MR. KHOO SAID. +IT IS ALL PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO HELP EMPLOYERS WHO ARE PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO TAKE ON DISABLED PEOPLE.+

/AN ADVANTAGE