TNAG-0876-FCO40-1086-Development-of-social-welfare-policy-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 149

Tramayyibai

香港聾人福利促進會

The Hong Kong Society for The Deaf

香港公约金..

A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY CHEST

本會機 OUR REF.:

*

YOUR REF.:

901 Duke of Windsor Social Service Building, 15 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-278969

轩尼鼓道十五號

溪莎公爵社會服烤大厦901室 HA: 5-278969

To: The Rt. Hon. Jack Ashley, M.P.

8th Jan.,

1979.

Dear Sir,

On behalf of the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, I would like to point out the following facts to you concerning the welfare of the deaf in Hong Kong:-

1) there is no accurate knowledge of the number of deaf in Hong Kong. This remains a problem despite close cooperation with the Census & Statistics Department. At present, there is only about 10,000 severely deaf persons known. However, figures from abroad show this to be a gross under-estimation. It has been stated that impairment of hearing is the single most prevalent chronic physical disability in the United States. Some American experts have indicated that the prevalence rate for deafness as being 1 per 1,000. The National Census of the deaf population (NCDP) estimates prevocational deafness at 2 per 1,000 - twice the old rate reached some 40 years before or more precisely, 203 per 100,000. Others even believe that this appraisal of 203 per 100,000 may be too low because of the lower rate for nonwhite persons in America. However, the statistical model used by the NCDP has been well accepted and should produce reasonable approximation of the actual figure.

New South Wales,

which has a population almost equal to that of Hong Kong recorded 1586 new claims for workmen's compensation because of noise induced hearing loss in 1974-75. The Workmen's Compensation legislation there provides compensation for all diseases related to employment. Therefore, noise induced deafness is automatically included.

2) Workmen's Compensation

at present, no disability allowance is granted for the deaf in Hong Kong. In the United Kingdom, National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Scheme also provides compensation for a number of prescribed occupational disease, including noise induced hearing loss.

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