XN000022-1987-02-03 — Page 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1987

RECORD NUMBER OF DISABLED PLACED IN JOBS

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THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT PLACED A RECORD NUMBER OF HANDICAPPED PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT IN 1986.

DURING THE YEAR, 1 000 DISABLED PERSONS WERE FOUND JOBS IN BOTH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DIVISION, COMPARED WITH 790 IN 1985.

OF THE TOTAL, 460 WERE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, 287 DEAF, 110 EX-MENTALLY ILL, 90 MENTALLY RETARDED AND 53 BLIND.

ACCORDING TO THE SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE DIVISION, MR HOUDINI HO, THE MOST ENCOURAGING RESULT WAS ACHIEVED IN THE PLACEMENT OF EX-MENTALLY ILL AND MENTALLY RETARDED GROUPS WHICH REGISTERED A 150 PER CENT AND 25 PER CENT INCREASE RESPECTIVELY OVER THE FIGURES FOR 1985.

+THIS INDICATES A MORE POSITIVE CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AMONG EMPLOYERS IN TAKING ON SUCH PERSONS, AND A READY WILLINGNESS TO GIVE THEM A FAIR CHANCE, MR HO SAID.

THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION, WHICH WAS SET UP WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT IN 1980, PROVIDES A FREE EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT SERVICE TO PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED OR MENTALLY DISABLED PERSONS WHO WISH TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT IN THE OPEN MARKET.

IT ALSO SERVES EMPLOYERS WHO WISH TO EMPLOY WORKERS WHO ARE CAPABLE ALTHOUGH DISABLED.

+ IN FACT, THE DIVISION HAS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS BROUGHT MANY EMPLOYERS AND DISABLED EMPLOYEES TOGETHER, + MR HO SAID.

+ AND MANY EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYING DISABLED WORKERS REGULARLY THROUGH US AFTER A SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENT OF SERVICE.

+THESE EMPLOYERS ARE HAPPY BECAUSE THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DISABLED WORKERS IS FOUND ON A PAR WITH THEIR ABLED-BODIES EMPLOYEES.+

MR HO CALLED ON EMPLOYERS TO HELP PLACE THE DISABLED IN EMPLOYMENT AS +THIS IS AN ACT OF GOOD FELLOWSHIP AND A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS OUR COMMUNITY+.

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