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Seminar to promote disabled employment

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The disabled were given a good chance today (Tuesday) to show their working abilities at a seminar organised by the Labour Department.

The Seminar on Open Employment for People with a Disability was organised for the third year to enable employers to understand better the working abilities of the disabled and provide them with more employment opportunities.

More than 400 representatives from various organisations attended the seminar at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during which talks were given, work demonstrations by the disabled performed, video shows and exhibitions provided.

Speaking at the opening of the seminar, the Commissioner for Labour, Miss Jacqueline Willis, said the Selective Placement Division (SPD) of the Labour Department had launched an array of promotional activities to promote open employment for people with a disability.

"These include staging exhibitions and seminars, issuing quarterly newsletters to 20,000 employers and presenting awards to commendable employers and outstanding disabled employees.

"We also work with the Radio and Television Hong Kong to produce a popular TV series 'Under the Same Sky' and a radio programme to enhance public understanding of people with a disability," Miss Willis said.

She said a set of video and handbook had been produced to introduce to employers the support services available to them in the employment of people with a disability. The support services include the Employaid Fund, Rehabus and sign language interpretation service.

In order to further promote open employment of people with a disability, SPD conducted 312 visits to employers in the private sector last year. With assistance from the Civil Service Branch, the division also made another 25 visits to major government departments.

"We have seen encouraging results and the division has achieved a record placement of 1,422 job seekers in one single year," Miss Willis said.