XN000022-1993-10-21 — Page 17

16

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1993

TO OVERCOME THE

RESISTANCE

OF SOME LOCAL RESIDENTS ΤΟ REHABILITATION SERVICES IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS, MRS WONG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS REINFORCING THE EFFORTS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.

BETWEEN NOW AND 1996/97, WE SHALL BE MAKING USE OF $31 MILLION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ON REHABILITATION, SHE SAID.

THIS SHOWS THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION ΤΟ ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST DISABLED PERSONS IN THE COMMUNITY, SHE ADDED.

**WE HOPE THAT BY MEANS OF DIFFERENT PROMOTIONAL CHANNELS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN CULTIVATE AN ATTITUDE OF UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE TOWARDS DISABLED PERSONS IN OUR COMMUNITY, SHE SAID.

ד

THE AIM OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE REHABILITATION AGENCIES FOR UTILISING COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO PROVIDE REHABILITATION SERVICES IS TO ENABLE THE DISABLED TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED AND RICH LIFE, AS THEIR ABLE-BODIED COUNTERPARTS, MRS WONG SAID.

0

TOGETHER WE DEVELOP OUR ABILITIES

DISABLED

PERSONS

* *

SHOULD TREASURE

THEIR

EMPLOYMENT

OF

OPPORTUNITIES, EXCEL IN WORK PERFORMANCE AND WORK FOR THE GROWTH THE COMMUNITY.

TO

THEY SHOULD WORK TOGETHER WITH THEIR ABLE-BODIED COUNTERPARTS ACHIEVE THE GOAL "TOGETHER WE DEVELOP OUR ABILITIES".

THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MRS KATHERINE FOK, TODAY (THURSDAY) IN THE WELCOMING REMARKS AT THE PRESENTATION OF SOUVENIRS CEREMONY 1993 FOR EMPLOYERS OF DISABLED PERSONS AND OUTSTANDING DISABLED EMPLOYEES.

MRS FOK SAID THE EMPLOYERS WHO WERE COMMENDED HAD BEEN SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 600 EMPLOYING ESTABLISHMENTS.

"ALL OF THEM HAVE ADOPTED AN OPEN-MINDED ATTITUDE IN EMPLOYING DISABLED PERSONS, INCLUDING THE TOTALLY BLIND, THE SPASTIC, THE MENTALLY RESTORED AND THE WHEEL-CHAIR BOUND," SHE SAID.

SOME OF THEM HAVE ALSO PROVIDED A GOOD LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO THEIR DISABLED EMPLOYEES WITHIN THEIR COMPANIES.

"BY USING VARIOUS MEANS TO BOOST THEIR EMPLOYERS' CONFIDENCE AT WORK, THESE EMPLOYERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED POSITIVELY TO INTEGRATING THE DISABLED, THROUGH WORK, INTO THE COMMUNITY," MRS FOK ADDED.

THE LABOUR COMMISSIONER ALSO CONGRATULATED THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR'S OUTSTANDING DISABLED EMPLOYEES AWARD AND APPEALED ΤΟ OTHER DISABLED PERSONS TO FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLES.

ORGANISED BY THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION (SPD) OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, THE CEREMONY IS AINED AT PAYING TRIBUTE TO EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE EMPLOYED A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF DISABLED PERSONS COMPARED TO THEIR TOTAL WORKFORCE OR HAVE EMPLOYED PERSONS WITH SEVERE DISABILITY, AND THOSE WHO HAVE MADE SPECIAL EFFORTS то ACCOMMODATE SUCH WORKERS DURING THE PAST YEAR.

/IT ALSO