ENG-1988 — Page 209

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SOCIAL WELFARE

in special schools. The Technical Education and Industrial Training Department is responsible for co-ordinating vocational training for disabled young people and adults. The Labour Department is responsible for job placements for the deaf, the blind, the physically disabled, the mentally handicapped and discharged mental patients. The Transport Department subvents a Rehabus service operated by the Hong Kong Society for Reha- bilitation for disabled persons who cannot use public transport.

Direct services provided for the disabled by the Social Welfare Department include counselling, compassionate rehousing, financial assistance, and day and residential care. The department also operates a child care centre providing an integrated programme for disabled children, a composite club for the handicapped, residential homes and hostels, day activity centres and sheltered workshops. The services provided by subvented welfare agencies include pre-school care, education and training programmes, integrated pro- grammes in child care centres, special child care centres, home help service, day activity centres, sheltered workshops, home-based training programmes, commercial-hired vehicle service, activity centre and half-way houses for discharged mental patients, sports, social and recreational programmes, sign language interpretation services, ear-mould production, hearing aid repair and mobility and orientation programmes for the blind.

By the end of the year, the Social Welfare Department and subvented welfare agencies provided a total of 1 248 day activity places and 3 015 sheltered workshop places. These facilities provide work or employment for disabled adults who are unable to compete in the open job market.

Disabled persons who cannot live independently and cannot be adequately cared for by their families, or who live in areas too remote from their places of training or employment are provided with residential care. By the end of the year there were 1 030 places in homes for mentally handicapped adults, 273 places in homes for the physically handicapped adults, and 398 places in homes for the blind. For pre-school disabled children, subvented agencies and Social Welfare Department provided 604 places for mildly disabled children in integrated programmes in 91 child care centres, 672 places for moderately and severely mentally handicapped children in 14 special child care centres and 515 places for pre-school disabled children in seven early education and training centres.

Voluntary agencies also provided 20 social centres and two sports associations. Further efforts were made to improve after-care and rehabilitation services for dis- charged mental patients. By the end of the year, 695 places were provided in half-way houses and 110 places in three activity centres for discharged mental patients. The Com- mittee on Public Education in Rehabilitation continued its efforts to foster a more positive public attitude towards mental illness.

During the year the Social Welfare Department introduced two computerised systems: the Co-ordinated Referral System for Disabled Pre-schoolers and the Central Referral System for Disabled Adults, to expedite referral for services. Five new rehabilitation services, foster care for mildly mentally handicapped children, respite service for families with mentally handicapped persons, home-based training programme, commercial-hired vehicle service and activity centre for discharged mental patients, were started.

The Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the Mentally Handicapped was set up in August under the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the Mentally Handicapped Ordinance. With an initial capital of $91 million, including $30 million from the sale of the gold coins to commemorate the Queen's visit in October 1986, $30 million from a matching contribution from the general revenue and $30 million from the Jockey Club, the foundation provides additional resources to complement the government's efforts under the Rehabilitation