XN000022-1980-02-29 — Page 6

5

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1980

FIVE OUTSTANDING BLIND PEOPLE RECEIVE AWARDS

*****

A BLIND YOUNG MAN, WHO DESPITE HIS DISABILITY HAS CLIMBED UP A LONG ACADEMIC LADDER TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKER, WAS AMONG FIVE OUTSTANDING BLIND PERSONS PRESENTED WITH AWARDS TODAY (FRIDAY).

TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD CHIU PO-ON AND FOUR OTHER BLIND PERSONS EACH RECEIVED A CASH GRANT OF $500 AND A SOUVENIR FROM MR KWOK KA-CHI, REGIONAL OFFICER (HONG KONG ISLAND) OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WHICH SPONSORED THE AWARD SCHEME.

THE OUTSTANDING BLIND PEOPLE AWARDS AIM AT HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THROUGH REHABILITATION THE DISABLED CAN BE RE INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY,

MR CHIU, BORN BLIND, WON THE AWARD FOR HIS OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS. HE FINISHED HIS SECONDARY EDUCATION WITH ONE DISTINCTION AND THREE CREDITS.

SIX YEARS AGO, HE BECAME THE FIRST BLIND PERSON TO ATTEND A TWO-YEAR CERTIFICATE COURSE IN SOCIAL WORK AT THE FORMER INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL WORK TRAINING NOW THE SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.

A SOCIAL WORKER WITH THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND, MR CHIU WILL LATER THIS YEAR REPRESENT THE SOCIETY IN A REHABILITATION CONFERENCE IN CANADA. HE ATTENDED A SIMILAR CONFERENCE IN KOREA LAST YEAR.

THE FOUR OTHER OUTSTANDING BLIND PERSONS RECEIVING AWARDS ARE MR CHAN KWOK-LEUNG, MR WONG KWOK-SO, MISS CHAU KIT-MUI AND MADAM LAI KWAI-FONG.

MR CHAN, AN ELECTRONIC FACTORY WORKER AGED 44, WAS SELECTED FOR HIS REMARKABLE SOCIAL READJUSTMENT AFTER HE LOST HIS EYESIGHT

IN 1970, AND FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN WELFARE ACTIVITIES FOR THE BLIND.

MR WONG, A FORTUNE TELLER, HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE BLIND, HE IS HEAD OF A HARMONICA GROUP IN A SOCIAL CENTRE.

MISS CHAU, A TELEPHONE OPERATOR, WON THE AWARD FOR HER REMARKABLE INDÉPENDENCE AND SELF-CARE, AS WELL AS HELPFULNESS TO OTHER BLIND PEOPLE.

MADAM LAI, AGED 60, IS A HOUSEWIFE. SHE WAS AWARDED FOR HER DEDICATION TO HER FAMILY WITH SIX CHILDREN, ALL NORMAL, AND FOR HER UNTIRING EFFORTS TO LEARN DESPITE DISABILITY AND OLD AGE. SHE HAS COMPLETED AN INDUSTRIAL SEWING COURSE AT THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND,

SELECTION OF THE FIVE OUTSTANDING BLIND PERSONS WAS MADE BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND, THE EBENEZER SCHOOL AND HOME FOR THE BLIND, THE CANOSSA SCHOOL FOR THE VISUALLY DISABLED, THE REHABILITATION DIVISION OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

16 ...