XN000022-1992-11-29 — Page 8

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1992

ALONG WITH OTHER CAMPERS, 30-YEAR-OLD AH-WING AND HIS 60-YEAR-OLD MOTHER ENJOYED A JOYFUL EVENING LAST (SATURDAY) NIGHT, TAKING PART IN KARAOKE, DISCO DANCING AND WATCHING VIDEOS.

THEY ALSO TOOK PART IN VARIOUS KINDS OF GAMES AND ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THIS MORNING.

AH-WING IS SEVERELY HANDICAPPED AND HE HAS BEEN RECEIVING TRAINING IN A SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT DAY ACTIVITY CENTRE SINCE LAST YEAR. HIS MOTHER WAS PLEASED THAT HE HAD GOT THIS NEW CAMPING EXPERIENCE.

"WE ENJOYED VERY MUCH IN THE TWO-DAY MANY NEW FRIENDS, AH-WING'S MOTHER SAID.

"I

PROGRAMME AND HAD MADE

SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT

SHE SAID AH-WING HAD ALREADY MADE AFTER ACQUIRING SKILLS IN SELF-CARE AND SIMPLE MANUAL TASKS IN THE EAST KOWLOON DAY ACTIVITY CENTRE.

SHE WAS SURE THAT THE CAMPING EXPERIENCE WOULD BROADEN HIS HORIZON AND HELP HIM INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY.

THE DISABLED PARTICIPANTS, ALL BEING TRAINEES OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S SERVICE UNITS, INCLUDED 352 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED

PERSONS, 23 MENTALLY ILL, 11 PHYSICALLY DISABLED, FIVE VISUALLY

IMPAIRED AND FOUR HEARING IMPAIRED.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE EVENT, MR KO HAU-MING, SAID THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO PROMOTE A SPIRIT OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE ABLE-BODIED AND DISABLED.

SHARE" WAS THE

MOTTO OF THE SOCIAL

HE SAID THE "CARE AND WELFARE DEPARTMENT WHICH STRESSED MUTUAL HELP.

"THE CAMP ALSO PROVIDES A CHANCE TO ADVOCATE FAMILY ACTIVITIES WITH A VIEW TO STRENGTHEN THEIR FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, tt HE ADDED.

"TO COINCIDE WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THE REHABILITATION GREEN PAPER, DISABLED PEOPLE WERE THUS CHOSEN AS THE TARGET GROUP OF THE 'CARE AND SHARE' PROGRAMME '92," MR KO SAID.

"RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO A BALANCED LIFE AND ARE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE ΤΟ DISABLED PERSONS. THEY WOULD FACILITATE THE LEARNING AND ACQUISITION OF SOCIAL SKILLS, AND ARE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAMME OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION."

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