XN000022-1979-05-30 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1979

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SWD HELPS MORE DISABLED PEOPLE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT

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MORE LOCAL EMPLOYERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE DISABLED AND ARE NOW MORE WILLING TO OFFER THEM JOBS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR. CHAN SIU-WING, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S JOB PLACEMENT UNIT SAID THAT 407 DISABLED PEOPLE WERE FOUND EMPLOYMENT DURING 1978-79.

+THIS BRINGS TO MORE THAN 3,500 THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENTS SINCE THE UNIT WAS SET UP IN 1967, HE ADDED.

LAST MONTH, HE SAID, 38 DISABLED PEOPLE WERE FOUND JOBS THROUGH THE UNIT COMPARED WITH A PREVIOUS MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 34.

HE SAID ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF MORE EMPLOYERS HIRING THE DISABLED WAS AN INCREASING ACCEPTANCE AND RECOGNITION OF THE DISABLED PERSONS POTENTIALS AND ABILITIES,

+THERE IS ALSO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE DISABLED BEING MORE STABLE IN A JOB ONCE THEY HAVE SETTLED DOWN TO WORK, HE SAID.

SOME EMPLOYERS, HE POINTED OUT, HAVE EVEN APPROACHED THE UNIT DIRECT FOR SUITABLE CANDIDATES.

MR. CHAN SAID THAT OF THE 38 DISABLED PLACED IN JOBS LAST MONTH, ONE -- A BLIND MAN STARTED WORK IN THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT'S TAI LAM CENTRE AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR, WHILE OTHERS WERE EMPLOYED IN THE COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL SECTOR AS CLERKS AND OFFICE ASSISTANTS.

THEY ARE PAID EITHER DAILY WAGES OF $22 TO $35 OR MONTHLY SALARIES RANGING FROM $500 TO $1,100,

APART FROM PROVIDING VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR THE DISABLED, THE UNIT TAPS EMPLOYMENT RESOUCES AND MATCHES SUITABLE DISABLED PEOPLE TO JOBS ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITIES.

CASES ARE NORMALLY REFERRED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES, THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES, AND THE UNIT ALSO KEEPS CLOSE LIAISON WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S EMPLOYMENT SERVICE, MR. CHAN SAID.

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THE JOB PLACEMENT UNIT OPERATES FROM TWO OFFICES ON EACH SIDE OF THE HARBOUR ONE AT THE CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY BUILDING, EIGHTH FLOOR, (TEL. NO. 5-716405), AND THE OTHER AT THE KWUN TONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING, SECOND FLOOR, TUNG YAN STREET (TEL. NO. 3-442293).

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