the New Territories. The General Chinese Charities Fund of the Chinese Temples Committee made a grant to the Society of just under $21,000 to enable it to purchase Brailon paper for the printing of general reading material for schools and libraries. The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod began publishing a monthly magazine in Cantonese braille for free distribution to the blind of the Colony in June 1966. The editor of this magazine is himself blind.
80. A very successful stand was operated at the Chinese Manu- facturers Association Exhibition in which blind persons demonstrated for the public the scope of training that is practicable and available for the blind in Hong Kong.
81. Certificates were presented in February to fourteen blind telephone-operators who had successfully completed their course of training: ten had found employment by the end of the year.
82. The department operates two full-day clubs for blind persons to assist them chiefly in their social adjustment to their disability and a third caters for different ages groups and categories in shorter sessions.
DEAF WELFARE
83. The department maintains a close liaison with the Special Education Section of the Education Department and with schools for the deaf. To supplement the services available through schools the department provides a number of clubs for deaf children; the fifth such departmental club was opened in January 1967, bringing the total number of deaf children who attend for full day care and training at these clubs to two hundred and thirty-eight. In the previous month the Education Department opened its Pre-School Centre for deaf children. A donation of $10,000 was received from Operation Santa Claus for a group hearing aid and the balance for individual aids and a progressive total of two hundred and sixty-four aids has now been issued by and through the department.
PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED
84. The Hong Kong Red Cross opened a new day school for physically handicapped children in September which will eventually provide one hundred and twenty places. The department held consulta- tions during the year with the Red Cross to make plans for the further training and accommodation of some of the older children at present
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