XN000022-1986-01-17 — Page 15

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1986 -

SKILLS TEAM MEETS LADY YOUDE

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AT A SPECIAL RECEPTION IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE TODAY (FRIDAY), LADY YOUDE PRESENTED MEDALS TO A TEAM OF 12 DISABLED PERSONS WHO HAD TAKEN PART IN THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL ABILYMPICS A SKILLS CONTEST FOR DISABLED PEOPLE.

THE EVENT WAS HELD IN BOGOTA, COLUMBIA IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, AND THE HONG KONG TEAM CAME SECOND, OUT OF A TOTAL OF 60 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES.

THE TEAM TOOK PART IN THE COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, BILLBOARD ADVERTISING, METAL LATHE TURNING, MACHINE-KNITTING, DRESS MAKING, TYPING, JOINERY AND WATCH REPAIR CONTESTS.

SPEAKING AT TODAY'S TEA RECEPTION HOSTED BY LADY YOUDE, THE COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION, MR MARTIN LEWIS, POINTED OUT THAT THE RESULT WAS EXTREMELY CREDITABLE BECAUSE NEARLY ALL OF THE TEAM MEMBERS WERE PLACED IN THE TOP 10 OF THEIR CATEGORIES.

+WE KNOW OF NO INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION WHERE HONG KONG HAS EVER BEFORE BEEN PLACED SO HIGH, SO THIS RESULT WAS EXTREMELY CREDITABLE, THE MORE SO SINCE HONG KONG DID NOT WIN ANYTHING IN THE FIRST ABILYMPICS IN JAPAN,+ HE SAID.

MR LEWIS ALSO APPEALED TO EMPLOYERS +TO ACT POSITIVELY BY EMPLOYING DISABLED PEOPLE+.

+WE ARE HOPING THAT THE GOOD RESULTS ACHIEVED BY THE HONG KONG TEAM IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION WILL HELP ALERT EMPLOYERS TO THE FACT THAT DISABILITY IS NO BAR TO EMPLOYMENT, HE SAID.

+ INDEED, DISABILITY NEED NOT EVEN BE A HANDICAP,+ HE ADDED. EMPHASISING THAT DISABLED PERSONS COULD ACHIEVE SIMILAR IF NOT BETTER RESULTS THAN OTHER EMPLOYEES. MR LEWIS URGED EMPLOYERS TO CONTACT THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AT 5-8524159 FOR FURTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION.

FIRE STATION IN KOWLOON BAY OPENED

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A $11 MILLION DIVISIONAL FIRE STATION SERVING THE POPULATED PART OF KOWLOON BAY WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING BY THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU,

MR TOM GARDINER.

SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, MR GARDINER SAID THAT THE PLANNING OF NEW STATIONS PROCEEDED TOGETHER WITH THAT FOR NEW TOWNS, NEWLY DEVELOPED AREAS AND NEW ROAD NETWORKS.

/+THE PRESENCE