XN000022-1986-10-31 — Page 13

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1986

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SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION ON EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DISABLED WHICH IS ORGANISED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND SPONSORED BY HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY, MR BRIDGE SAID MOST DISABLED PERSONS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR TYPES OF DISABILITY, HAD THE IR OWN WORKING ABILITIES.

+ THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT. BY PLACING STRONG EMPHASIS ON FINDING A JOB BEST SUITED TO ONE'Ś ABILITY AND INTEREST, HAS ENABLED MANY DISABLED PERSONS TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THEIR ABILITIES, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE WORKING ABILITIES OF MANY DISABLED PERSONS WERE FURTHER ENHANCED BY THE USE OF SUITABLE EMPLOYMENT AIDS.

+MODERN ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH AND DESIGN HAVE LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE TOOLS WHICH HELP DISABLED PERSONS TO WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY AND FACILITATE THE IR MOVEMENT IN THEIR WORKING ENVIRONMENT,+ HE SAID.

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+THE INVESTMENT IN THE INSTALLATION OF SUCH AIDS, MANY OF WHICH ARE INEXPENSIVE, HAS ALWAYS PROVED TO BE WORTHWHILE.+

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MR BRIDGE URGED EMPLOYERS TO PUT INTO PRACTICE THE THEME OF THE EXHIBITION EMPLOY ABILITY, EMPLOY THE DISABLED BECAUSE +A DISABLED CAN HOLD JOBS WHICH EVEN AN ABLE-BODIED WILL MARVEL AT+.

ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY, MR DAVID LI.

MR LI SAID THERE WERE ABOUT 90 DISABLED EMPLOYEES ON THE COMPANY'S ESTABLISHMENT, AND SOME HAVE SERVED FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS.

HE NOTED THAT THREE YEARS AGO HIS COMPANY BOUGHT THREE OPTACON MACHINES WHICH WERE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO ENABLE THE BLIND TO +READ+ A COMPUTER TERMINAL SCREEN.

+OUR PURCHASE OPENED UP NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELIND PEOPLE, AND TODAY, OUR BLIND OPERATORS ON THE '108' DIRECTORY ENQUIRY SERVICE WORK AS EFFICIENTLY AS OUR SIGHTED OPERATORS, THANKS TO OPTACON, WHICH WE HAVE INCLUDED IN OUR EXHIBITION, SAID MR LI.

HE ADDED THAT THE TELEPHONE COMPANY WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WITH THE HOPE OF EMPLOYING EVEN MORE DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE.

THE EXHIBITION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC BETWEEN 11 AM AND 7 PM TOMORROW (SATURDAY) AND ON SUNDAY AT THE NEW WORLD PLAZA, TS IM SHA TSUI.

THERE ARE