XN000022-1981-03-28 — Page 6

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1981

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ACCESS WEEK WAS THE START OF ON-GOING WORK TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE ACCESS TRANSPORT COMMITTEE, LADY CATER SAID.

IT WAS A PUBLICITY DRIVE- AND WHEN IT WAS OVER THE COMMITTEE IN CO-OPERATION WITH ITS GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, WOULD TAKE IT AS THEIR CONTINUING RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL PUBLIC BUILDINGS, FACILITIES, PUBLIC PARKS AND PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT IN TUEN MUN WERE ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED.

AND THEY WOULD BE EQUALLY CONCERNED THAT THE DISABLED SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE WHATEVER PUBLIC TRANSPORT WAS MADE AVAILABLE FOR TUEN MUN.

LADY CATER SAID: +AS WE TOGETHER COMMEMORATE THE OPENING OF ACCESS WEEK IN THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS, WE ARE REMINDED THAT TODAY NOT ONLY MARKS THE OUTCOME OF MUCH THOUGHTFULNESS AND CARING ON THE PART OF MANY SENSIBLE AND DETERMINED CITIZENS OF TUEN MUN, MOST ABLY SUPPORTED IT ALSO MARKS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT COULD WELL BE TERMED A NEW GRAND DESIGN.+

IN RECENT YEARS, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION WAS PUBLISHED IN 1976, THERE HAD BEEN A NOTABLE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER AND VARIETY OF SERVICES PROVIDED FOR THE HANDICAPPED IN OUR COMMUNITY, SHE SAID.

HONG KONG HAD BEEN ABLE TO OBSERVE MODERN METHODS ADOPTED ELSEWHERE AND HAD BEEN ABLE TO LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE TOO, SO THAT IN MANY WAYS, BY STARTING A BIT LATE IN THE BUSINESS, WE MIGHT JUST BE A BIT AHEAD IN THE END THROUGH AVOIDING THE MISTAKES OTHERS HAD MADE IN THEIR PIONEER WORK.

→MORE IMPORTANT, EVEN, IS THAT HONG KONG HAS AN OPPORTUNITY WHICH IS UNIQUE, IN THE PROPER SENSE OF THAT WORD, TO INFLUENCE THE CREATION AND STRUCTURE OF ENTIRELY NEW TOWNS WHERE NO TOWN WAS BEFORE - SOMETIMES NOT EVEN THE LAND AND TO MASTERMIND THE BEST POSSIBLE HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS AND SERVICES WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF OUR FINANCIAL, SPACIAL AND TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS, + LADY CATER SAID.

SHE SAID SHE WAS VISITED THIS WEEK BY A FRIEND TRAVELLING IN A WHEEL CHAIR.

HE COULD WALK A LITTLE ON STICKS, BUT HE COULD NOT GO INTO MANY BUILDINGS WHERE THERE WERE STAIRS AND NO RAMPS OR LIFTS.

+AND WE HAD ENORMOUS DIFFICULTY CROSSING ROADS.+

THE WEEK BEFORE, SHE HAD BEEN WATCHING THE INCREDIBLE SKILLS OF THE ATHLETES AT ONE OF THE CENTRES FOR THE PHYSICALLY HAND ICAPPED.

THEY WERE PLAYING TABLE TENNIS, BASKETBALL, FENCING= AND THEY EXCELLED IN SWIMMING AND ARCHERY TOO.

+VERY OFTEN PHYSICAL DISABILITY SEEMS TO BE COMPENSATED BY EXTRA SPECIAL ABILITY IN OTHER WAYS: A GREAT MANY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING DEVELOPED TALENTS AND GIFTS OF MENTAL CAPACITY ABOVE WHAT ONE MAY CONSIDER THE 'NORMAL' HAND-OUT, LADY CATER SAID.

TIVES AN+/