jepartment, was sent to England to take a special course under the direction of the British Empire Society for the Blind, whilst towards the end of 1955 the Hong Kong Society for the Blind was established. Both the Ebenezer and Honeyville Homes now receive substantial Government subventions, and much improvement and expansion of activities has taken place, particularly at the Ebenezer Home, which now cares for a total of 126 blind children. Honeyville cares for 47 blind girls.
119. By the end of March 1957 some 1,100 blind persons had been registered by the Special Welfare Services Section of the department, in co-operation with the Government Opthalmic Service.
120. Care of the deaf and dumb continued, as in previous years, to consist mainly in providing educational facilities for deaf children. The Hong Kong School for the Deaf now has 103 pupils. A workshop is being built at the back of the main school building, and it is hoped that the carpentry classes can be expanded in the near future.
121. The Victoria Park School for the Deaf sponsored by the Rotary Club (East) of Hong Kong, is still in its preparatory stage, but construction of the new school building is expected to begin sometime before the end of 1957.
122. The Hong Kong Society for the Relief of Disabled Children opened its new convalescent home at Sandy Bay in November, 1956. It has accommodation for 50 crippled children, and the beds are always fully occupied.
123. The British Red Cross Society continued to run classes for children in the orthopaedic ward of Laichikok Hospital, at the Haven of Hope Sanatorium, at Sandy Bay Convalescent Home, and at the Kwong Wah Hospital. About 200 crippled children attend these classes.
124. The Welfare Centre for the Physically Handicapped at Shap Long, Lantao, was handed over to the Prisons Department early in December 1956, and the inmates and their dependants were transferred to Morrison Hill Relief Camp. So far as possible in the restricted space available, vocational training such as carpentry, sewing and printing continued.
continued. (See Appendix XV).
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