XN000022-1981-07-26 — Page 6

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 1981

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BOAT RACE FOR HANDICAPPED AT TAI PO

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ABOUT 60 HANDICAPPED PERSONS, HALF OF THEM BLIND, PARTICIPATED IN A BOAT RACE AT TAI PO TODAY (SUNDAY).

THE EVENT WAS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE PAK TIN BLIND CENTRE AND THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF HANDICAPPED YOUTH. IT WAS SPONSORED BY TAI PO RURAL COMMITTEE.

THE RACE STARTED AT SAM MUN TSAI AND ENDED NEAR LI UK, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 700 METRES.

EACH BOAT WAS CREWED BY TWO PERSONS, ONE OF WHOM WAS BLIND.

PRIZES WERE PRESENTED TO THE FIRST THREE WINNING TEAMS BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR NICKY LO- THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF TAI PO RURAL COMMITTEE, MR HO YUNG-SANG AND THE SUB-DIVISIONAL INSPECTOR OF TAI PO POLICE STATION, MR CHAN KIT-CHU.

MR LO SAID TODAY'S EVENT WAS ORGANISED AS A RESULT OF JOINT COMMUNITY EFFORT.

HE SAID THIS YEAR HAD BEEN DESIGNATED INTERNATIONAL YEAR FOR DISABLED PERSONS AND ITS SUCCESS DEPENDED UPON COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT.

+TODAY'S EVENT HAS SHOWN THAT THE COMMUNITY IS WILLING TO HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS FACING THE HANDICAPPED, HE SAID.

+ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS IS THAT THE ABILITY OF THE HANDICAPPED IS NOT RECOGNISED BY PEOPLE GENERALLY, BUT TODAY THE HANDICAPPED HAVE SHOWN THAT THEY CAN DO AS WELL AS NON-HANDICAPPED PEOPLE.

+THIS EVENT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO REALISE THE ABILITY OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE AND AS A RESULT MAY GIVE THEM BETTER EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS,+ MR LO SAID.

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