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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, may I call the meeting to order.
## MINUTES
The minutes of meeting held on 12 October 1993 were confirmed.
## PAPERS
The following papers were laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of October 1993.
(2) Report on the Urban Council Visit to Beijing. (13 October-17 October 1993)
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The report on the Urban Council visit to Beijing has been circulated to members of the delegation. Some amendments have been made, otherwise, the report is now tabled for all Members' information.
## QUESTIONS
1. THE HONOURABLE LI WAH-MING asked the following question (in Cantonese): The Urban Council charges the old people using its facilities or joining its activities at concessionary rates, but does not give any preferential treatment to the mentally or physically handicapped. Will the Council consider giving preferential treatment to them? If not, why?
THE HONOURABLE MAN SAI-CHEONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, this question concerns concessionary rates and preferential treatment for the mentally and physically handicapped.
At present, the Urban Council offers concessionary rates to students and the elderly in a number of ways.
For the use of cultural facilities, the concessionary rate for students and the elderly is 50% for cultural presentations, subject to a quota of 20% for each price category. The concession is 50% for admission to the Museum of Art, the History Museum and the Space Museum, 40% for the Science Museum and 35% for the Space Museum shows, with no quota set for the number of concessionary tickets.
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For the use of leisure facilities, the concessionary rate is 50% for the elderly, schools and non-profit making organizations registered with the Social Welfare Department, also with no quota for admission at concessionary rate.
Concerning preferential treatment for the mentally and physically handicapped, admission is free for participants for special cultural, recreation and sports programmes. For example, the special olympics events organized for the mentally handicapped; various athletic meets and fitness programmes for the physically handicapped; participation in the 10th Anniversary celebration of the Hong Kong Coliseum; previews of major exhibitions and guided tours such as the Rodin Exhibition and special drama performances and outreach entertainment programmes such as the recent ‘One of the Lucky Ones' for the blind.
In addition, with the exception of cultural presentations for which there is a quota for concessionary admission, disabled persons can enjoy the same concessions as students and senior citizens, when they use cultural, recreation and sport facilities, provided they come in groups and book the tickets in advance.
Moreover, in all leisure and cultural venues, wherever feasible special arrangements for car parking are provided for the disabled on request. Special seating arrangements are made for the physically handicapped in cultural venues. Free block loans of books are arranged for rehabilitation centres and organizations. Use of library cloakrooms are free for the physically handicapped and special reading machines are provided for the blind in the reference libraries.
However, unlike for the elderly and students, there are no concessionary admission schemes for disabled individuals nor the preferential treatment, because apart from patrons with visible signs or handicap, it is difficult to identify individuals with disabilities. Due to the lack of readily available means of identification for the majority of the disabled to prove their status, it is administratively difficult for frontline staff at the operational level to check proof of disability required for audit purposes. Checking patrons' status of disability can be highly sensitive as some may feel offended at being queried, particularly when they do not possess acceptable documentary proof. On the other hand, to avoid abuse it is necessary to have some criteria for granting concessions.
The department is currently reviewing how the concessionary schemes can be further extended, and it is expected that suitable proposals will be submitted to the relevant Select Committees for consideration in the near future. However, until there is a readily available means of identifying the handicapped similar to the preferential cards to elderly people under consideration as part of the Preferential Scheme for the Elderly, which is a subject of debate in Legco tomorrow, otherwise it is difficult to see how the concessionary schemes can be extended to individual handicapped persons.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, may I call the meeting to order.
MINUTES
The minutes of meeting held on 12 October 1993 were confirmed.
PAPERS
The following papers were laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Secretary, Urban Council, for the
month of October 1993.
(2) Report on the Urban Council Visit to Beijing.
(13 October-17 October 1993)
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The report on the Urban Council visit to Beijing has been circulated to members of the delegation. Some amendments have been made, otherwise, the report is now tabled for all Members' information.
QUESTIONS
1. THE HONOURABLE LI WAH-MING asked the following question (in Cantonese): The Urban Council charges the old people using its facilities or joining its activities at concessionary rates, but does not give any preferential treatment to the mentally or physically handicapped. Will the Council consider giving preferential treatment to them? If not, why?
THE HONOURABLE MAN SAI-CHEONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, this question concerns concessionary rates and preferential treatment for the mentally and physically handicapped.
At present, the Urban Council offers concessionary rates to students and the elderly in a number of ways.
For the use of cultural facilities, the concessionary rate for students and the elderly is 50% for cultural presentations, subject to a quota of 20% for each price category. The concession is 50% for admission to the Museum of Art, the History Museum and the Space Museum, 40% for the Science Museum and 35% for the Space Museum shows, with no quota set for the number of concessionary tickets.
Page 59 of 132
4
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 59 of 132
123
For the use of leisure facilities, the concessionary rate is 50% for the elderly, schools and non-profit making organizations registered with the Social Welfare Department, also with no quota for admission at concessionary rate.
Concerning preferential treatment for the mentally and physically handicapped, admission is free for participants for special cultural, recreation and sports programmes. For example, the special olympics events organized for the mentally handicapped; various athletic meets and fitness programmes for the physically handicapped; participation in the 10th Anniversary celebration of the Hong Kong Coliseum; previews of major exhibitions and guided tours such as the Rodin Exhibition and special drama performances and outreach entertainment programmes such as the recent ‘One of the Lucky Ones' for the blind.
In addition, with the exception of cultural presentations for which there is a quota for concessionary admission, disabled persons can enjoy the same concessions as students and senior citizens, when they use cultural, recreation and sport facilities, provided they come in groups and book the tickets in advance.
Moreover, in all leisure and cultural venues, wherever feasible special arrangements for car parking are provided for the disabled on request. Special seating arrangements are made for the physically handicapped in cultural venucs. Free block loans of books are arranged for rehabilitation centres and organizations. Use of library cloakrooms are free for the physically handicapped and special reading machines are provided for the blind in the reference libraries.
However, unlike for the elderly and students, there are no concessionary admission schemes for disabled individuals nor the preferential treatment, because apart from patrons with visible signs or handicap, it is difficult to identify individuals with disabilities. Due to the lack of readily available means of identification for the majority of the disabled to prove their status, it is administratively difficult for frontline staff at the operational level to check proof of disability required for audit purposes. Checking patrons' status of disability can be highly sensitive as some may feel offended at being queried, particularly when they do not possess acceptable documentary proof. On the other hand, to avoid abuse it is necessary to have some criteria for granting concessions.
The department is currently reviewing how the concessionary schemes can be further extended, and it is expected that suitable proposals will be submitted to the relevant Select Committees for consideration in the near future. However, until there is a readily available means of identifying the handicapped similar to the preferential cards to elderly people under consideration as part of the Preferential Scheme for the Elderly, which is a subject of debate in Legco tomorrow, otherwise it is difficult to see how the concessionary schemes can be extended to individual handicapped persons.
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