Sheltered work
in the open commercial and industrial sector and in the Civil Service. The Government will provide services to enable as many disabled persons as possible to find employment in the Civil Service and in commercial and industrial undertakings.
6.8 The Government's policy is to place disabled persons in appropriate jobs in the Civil Service wherever possible. Disabled persons applying for Government posts are considered on equal terms with other applicants and their disability is not a bar to their employment. The Social Welfare Department watches advertisements for Government vacancies and, if there are registered disabled persons who can do the jobs involved, refers their particulars to the recruiting department for consideration with other applica- tions received. Where recruitment is not by advertisement, as in the case of Model Pay Scale 1 posts, and if the recruiting department considers that the duties of such posts can be done by disabled persons, details of the vacancies are notified to the Social Welfare Department, which refers particulars of suitable registered disabled persons to the recruiting department for consideration. If a disabled candidate so referred is not selected, the Social Welfare Department is informed of the reasons. The policy and procedure for the employment of disabled persons in the Civil Service are set out in Civil Service Regula- tions and heads of departments are required to forward to the Secretary for the Civil Service on 1st April each year an updated list of names, appointments and terms of service of the disabled persons currently employed in their departments. They are periodically reminded by circulars that Government, being the largest employer in Hong Kong, should continue to give a lead in placing the disabled in appropriate jobs. The present policy for the employ- ment of disabled persons in the Civil Service will continue in future.
6.9 To enable as many disabled persons as possible to be employed in the com- mercial and industrial sectors, the Government will improve the present placement services. New opportunities for employment will be explored and full advantage will be taken of the resources of both the Social Welfare Department and the Labour Department towards a co-ordinated approach to the placement of the disabled. Additional staff will be provided to the Placement Unit of the Social Welfare Department so that a larger number of cases can be handled.
6.10 It has been argued that legislation should be enacted to enforce the employment of the disabled. However, it has been objected that in the present circumstances of Hong Kong, it is undesirable to introduce compulsory legislation and that similar legislation intro- duced in some parts of the world has not been implemented successfully. It is not considered that introduction of such legislation would be warranted for Hong Kong.
6.11 Some disabled persons, because of the nature of their disabilities, may not be able to enter into open employment. To enable them to carry on a useful working life, sheltered work should be provided for them. There are two main categories of sheltered work. Firstly, there are workshops which are planned to provide permanent employment for persons unable to enter into open employment. Secondly, there are home-work schemes, which offer industrial or craftwork for those who cannot travel or for whom a place in a sheltered workshop is not available. In the coming decade, both types of sheltered work will be developed. The number of places in sheltered workshops, for instance, will in- crease from 960 to a minimum of 2,600. The new workshops will be located at district level, as close as possible to the homes of the disabled, and the work will be adjusted as far as possible to suit the potential of the disabled.
Social and recreational activities
6.12
Building design requirement
Recreation is essential to a balanced life and is of particular importance to the disabled. Organisations providing recreational activities for the disabled require under- standing of the requirements and problems of the various types of disabled persons. In the coming decade, Government will continue to provide assistance to voluntary organisa- tions which are prepared to provide social and recreational services for the disabled. The aim of such services is to encourage the integration of the disabled into the community; therefore, activities will be organised in such a way that the able-bodied and the disabled can participate together. Steps will be taken to ensure that the social and recreational activities in the community are accessible to the disabled as far as possible. It is anticipated that the number of disabled persons that can make use of organised recreational facilities will increase from 2,010 in 1977-78 to 5,200 by 1985-86.
6.13 In 1974, a report on the Design Requirement for Handicapped People was pre- pared by a Government Working Group. The Report recommended that a Code of Practice for the design of buildings to encourage architects to cater for the needs of disabled persons, should be introduced. This Code is being applied by the Public Works Department, where possible, in Government building projects. The Housing Authority is considering the possibility of applying it to the design of public housing projects. The Director of Public
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