XN000022-1980-04-23 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1980

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GOVERNMENT TO STEP UP EFFORTS TO EMPLOY THE DISABLED

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED REVISED CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS TO ENABLE MORE DISABLED PERSONS TO BE RECRUITED.

UNTIL RECENTLY, A DISABLED PERSON APPLYING FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE WOULD BE SELECTED FOR APPOINTMENT ONLY IF HE WAS CONSIDERED CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE FULL RANGE OF DUTIES OF A PARTICULAR RANK.

UNDER THE REVISED REGULATIONS, A DISABLED CANDIDATE FOUND SUITABLE TO CARRY OUT THE DUTIES OF A PARTICULAR POST MAY BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPOINTMENT EVEN THOUGH HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF EVERY POST IN THE SAME RANK.

THIS CHANGE, ACCORDING TO A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, WAS INTRODUCED IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE TEMPO OF RECRUITING DISABLED PERSONS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AS CONSISTENT WITH GOVERNMENT'S GENERAL POLICY OF INTEGRATING THE DISABLED INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PROCESS OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EVENTUAL GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT.

TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE A LEAD IN PLACING THE DISABLED IN APPROPRIATE JOBS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, RECOGNISING THAT THE ABILITIES OF MANY DISABLED PERSONS OUTWEIGH THEIR DISABILITIES AND THAT ONLY

IN PRODUCTIVE AND REMUNERATIVE EMPLOYMENT WOULD THEIR FULLEST POSSIBLE VOCATIONAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL BE REALISED,

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED DISABLED EMPLOYEES HAVE MUCH TO OFFER. THE IR VERY LACK OF MOBILITY, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT THE IR EMPLOYMENT ENABLES THEM TO REGAIN SELF-RESPECT AND HENCE GENERATES CONSIDERABLE JOB SATISFACTION, MEANS THAT THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE HARDWORKING AND LOYAL+.

THE REVISED REGULATIONS ALSO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT A DISABLED PERSON FOUND SUITABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN AN APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF PREFERENCE FOR APPOINTMENT OVER OTHER APPLICANTS.

A BLIND FINAL-YEAR STUDENT OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN PROVISIONALLY SELECTED FOR APPOINTMENT AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER II UNDER THE REVISED CRITERIA. ANOTHER BLIND THIRD-YEAR STUDENT IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR APPOINTMENT AS A COURT INTERPRETER.

WHILE AGREEING THAT IN VIEW OF THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE NUMBER OF DISABLED PERSONS EMPLOYED IN GOVERNMENT JOBS IS NOT LARGE, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT AS A RESULT OF SPECIAL EFFORTS, THE NUMBER IS GRADUALLY INCREASING. THERE WERE ON APRIL 1, 1975 ALTOGETHER 350 DISABLED PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE CIVIL SERVICE- THE NUMBER HAS SINCE INCREASED TO 662 AS AT APRIL 1, THIS YEAR.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT UNIT WHICH IS BEING SET UP IN THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, THE CIVIL SERVICE WOULD BE ABLE TO EMPLOY MORE DISABLED PERSONS.

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