UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONGLIBRARY

This book was a giftfrom

Hong Kong Government Printer

REPORT

OF

THE WORKING PARTY ON VOCATIONAL TRAININGFOR THE DISABLED

OF

THE COMMITTEE ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING

OF

THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

November 1970

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. R. LEE, GOVERNMENT PRINTERAT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, JAVA ROAD, HONG KONG

JR NO,

COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE ONVOCATIONAL TRAINING

(i) Paragraph 28.8: the word "professional9' was misleading and itwas felt that the terms "technical training" and "technical journal"should be used instead.

(ii) Paragraph 29.4: only that part of laundry work regarding pressingand ironing would be suitable for mental retardates.

(iii) Paragraph 29.4: the Committee had reservation regarding thesuitability of metal pressing work for the mental retardates, unlessthe machines had fixed guards.

(iv) Paragraph 30.14: either "suitably qualified" or "technicallyqualified" should be used instead of "professionally qualified".

(v) Paragraphs 38 & 40: courses for instructors working in centresand institutions for the disabled should be run at the MorrisonHill Technical Institute with visiting lecturers from the SocialWelfare Department and the Special Education Section of theEducation Department to lecture on the specialist subjects.

85149—20K—8/71

C O N T E N T S

Part Paragraphs Pages

I . INTRODUCTION 1 - 6 1 - 3

II. SUMMARY OF SURVEY . . . . 7 - 2 6 3 - 9

III. OBSERVATIONS, CONCLUSIONS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS . . . 27-32.10 9 - 2 6

(a) Hearing Disabled . . . 28 - 28.11 9 - 12

(ft) Mentally Retarded . . 29 - 29.8 12 - 15

(c) Physically Disabled . . 30 - 30.20 15 - 20

(d) Psychiatrically Disabled . 31-31.9 2 0 - 2 3

(*) Visually Disabled . . 32 - 32.10 23 - 26

IV. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS . . 3 3 - 5 8 2 6 - 3 3

APPENDIX A — Report on Vocational Training Facilities inRehabilitation Centres . . . . 3 4 - 3 6

PART I

INTRODUCTION

1. In view of the shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labour ina number of trades resulting from the rapid expansion of Hong Kong'sindustry over the past ten years, Government, in 1965, appointed anon-statutory body called the Industrial Training Avisory Committeeto study the whole problem of industrial training and to make recom-mendations as to the appropriate permanent machinery for ensuringa comprehensive system of industrial training geared to meet the needsof Hong Kong industry.

2. To date, the Advisory Committee has created ten industrialcommittees each of which covers one of the local major industries andthree functional committees one of which is the Committee on Voca-tional Training. The terms of reference of the functional Committeeon Vocational Training were broadened in March 1970 to includepre-vocational training. One of its terms of reference states "toinvestigate generally and report to the Industrial Training AdvisoryCommittee on all such vocational and pre-vocational training carriedout by the voluntary welfare agencies and Government departments".

3. The Functional Committee first mentioned in May 1967 theneed to report on rehabilitation training in Hong Kong in its "Reporton Vocational Training Centres in Hong Kong". Series of visits torehabilitation centres were made in the next two years and a reportwas prepared in July 1969. Because of the limitations dictated by theterms of reference of the Functional Committee (reference paragraph2) the report only covered three centres which provided vocationaltraining to the disabled. A copy of this report is attached as Appen-dix A.

4. The issue of vocational training for the disabled was againbrought up in January 1970. The Functional Committee felt that aworking party should be formed, consisting of a number of well-knownpersons in the field of rehabilitation of the disabled, to look into therehabilitation problem of the disabled from the industrial training pointof view. The Working Party on Vocational Training for the Disabled

1

was then appointed by the Functional Committee on 20th March 1970with the following members: —

Mr. TSAU Tsor-yan (Superintendent, World RehabilitationFund Day Centre, representative of theDirector of Social Welfare on the Func-tional Committee)(Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co.Ltd., representative of the Federationof Hong Kong Industries on the Func-tional Committee)(Representative of the Commissionerof Labour on the Functional Com-mittee)

(Chairman)

Mr. T. J. BARTLETT

Mr. H. R. KNIGHT(represented byMr. AU-YEUNGMan-tak)

Mrs. R. CHENG

Dr. H. S. Y. FANG

Rev. L. R. JASPER

Mr. Ko Ki-chung

Dr. Lo Wai-hoi

Mrs. V McCosH(represented byMrs. J. STOTT andlater by Mr. W.TAM)

Miss D. MOWAT

Mrs. R. RIXON(Secretary)

(Senior Physiotherapist, Kowloon Re-habilitation Centre, Medical andHealth Department)(Chairman, Hong Kong Society forRehabilitation)(Director, Education for the Deaf inHong Kong, Lutheran Church-MissouriSynod)(Superintendent, Kai Nang TrainingCentre, Social Welfare Department)(Officer-in-charge of the Yau Ma TeiPsychiatric Centre, representative ofthe Director of Medical and HealthServices on the Working Party)(Secretary, Hong Kong Society for theBlind)

(Occupational Therapist, KowloonRehabilitation Centre, Medical andHealth Department)

TERMS OF REFERENCE5. We were appointed with the following terms of reference: —

(1) To study and advise on the importance and needs of voca-tional training for the disabled with a view to making themproductive workers and useful citizens in the community.

(2) To evaluate the effectiveness of existing vocational trainingfacilities provided by voluntary agencies and Governmentdepartments relating to the rehabilitation of the disabled.

(3) To recommend the types of vocational training that will bestsuit the needs of the disabled, and to advise on modificationor adaptation of equipment currently used in the training ofthe disabled in Hong Kong.

(4) To report to the Committee on Vocational Training whichwill advise Government, through the main Industrial TrainingAdvisory Committee on the provision of vocational trainingand job placement facilities most needed by the disabledincluding sheltered workshop programmes.

In June 1970, we were informed by the chairman of the IndustrialTraining Advisory Committee through the Functional Committee thatit would be improper for us to advise on training in sheltered work-shops.

6. We held our first meeting on 20th March 1970 and decidedthat, in order to assess the needs of vocational training for the disabled,a postal survey, with subsequent visits to all the known rehabilitationand training centres in Hong Kong, was necessary. A postal surveywas therefore conducted in May 1970 and visits made in July 1970.

PART II

SUMMARY OF SURVEY

7. Questionnaires were sent to 20 rehabilitation and trainingcentres and 18 centres returned the information needed. Two centresreturned blank questionnaires; one said they had temporarily suspendedits vocational training courses at the time of the survey and the othersaid they did not provide any form of training and would only admittrained disabled persons into their workshop. The following para-graphs summarized the information provided by the 18 centres.

8. Sponsoring organizations

Numberof

Centres

Privateorganization

(profit-making)

—

Privateorganization(non-profit-

making)

—

Voluntaryagency

11

Government-run

organization

7

Joint-project

organization

—

9- Type of Disability served and Number of Disabled PersonsEnrolled

Type of Disability

(a) Visually DisabledBlindPartially sightedUnspecified

(b) Hearing DisabledDeaf with speech . . .Deaf without speechHard of hearingUnspecified

(c) Mentally DisabledDischarged mental

patientsMentally retarded ...Unspecified

(d) Physically Disabled ...Cerebral palsyPoliomyelitisparaplegic ...HemiplegicArthritisTuberculosis (bone,

joint, etc.)AmputeesUnspecified

Capacity

396

112

301

356

PresentEnrollment

2925812

1243

—31

3330122

63016123

41

21189

FutureCapacityPlanned

321

(in 1971)

Teachers/instructorswith special

training

\3

j

4

)1

)

Type of Disability

(e) OthersLeprosyDropsyEx-Hansen ...Heart DiseaseHunch-backEpilepsySlightly crippledUnspecified ...

Capacity

552255314

20

PresentEnrollment

2692563

420

FutureCapacityPlanned

Teachers/instructorswith special

training

10. Eligibility for Admission

(a) Age:—Some centres stipulated an age limit while others didnot.

(b) Sex:—Except for 3 centres which only accepted maleworkers/trainees, the others were open to both sexes.

(c) Disability:—Most centres did not specify the degree of dis-ability for acceptance.

(d) Education:—According to the trades, if required. Mostlybelow Form I.

(e) Entrance Examination:—Only 3 centres stated that entranceexamination was required.

(/) Medical Report:—13 centres required medical report foradmission.

(g) Other Requisites for Admission: —Most centres only acceptedreferrals from the Social Welfare Department. Others specifiedthat applicants must go through a process of evaluation. LQ.and the ability of self-care had also been stated as requisites.

11. Facilities Offered

No. of centres offeringsuch facilities

Pre-vocationalTraining

6

VocationalTraining

13

ShelteredWorkshop

10

Academic

4

12. Training Courses Offered

Training Course

Printing ...CarpentryHorticultureDomestic helpAutomobile MechanicsLeather WorkTailoring/sewingKnitting ...ElectronicsPiano tuningWatchmakingTelephone Switch-board

operationMassage ...Dictaphone typingRadio/TV RepairBuilding constructionRoad-Fencing MakingMarketing of produceCooking ...Savings account workMetalworkPractical electricityWeavingBasket makingWard dressersEmbroideryBrush/broom makingRattan chair makingRattan corejoiningPlastic flowersGeneral handicraftMechanicsElectrical appliances* repair . . .

Length of Course

6months

1

9-12months

1

1

1111

111

2 years

2312

23

111

2

1

21

morethan

2 years

11

notfixed

112

1

111

11111

111122122

* The number in each column refers to the number of centres offering such courses.

13. Syllabuses for Courses. 4 centres had syllabuses for all theirtraining courses, 6 centres for some of their courses and the other 8centres did not have syllabuses for any of their training courses,

14. Training undergone or Certificates possessed by Teacher/Instructors. Although some of the teachers/instructors had paper

qualifications to show that they were qualified and skilled in the tradesthey taught, very few had special training in the instruction of disabledpersons.

15. Number of Classrooms and Workshops. The total numberof classrooms and workshops provided by the 18 centres was 64 and33 respectively.

16. Textbooks. In centres for the blind, any textbooks, if used,were printed in braille. Most of the other centres used either standardtextbooks or notes prepared by the instructors.

17. Fees. Only two centres replied that they charged theirtrainees either tuition fees or hostel fees,

18. Stipends. Most centres paid an allowance to their traineesand for those providing sheltered workshop facilities, workers werepaid wages for their work.

19. Scholarships. Only one centre replied that scholarships wereavailable to its trainees. This was the centre that charged tuition fees.

20. Student—Teacher Ratio. The ratio ranged from 20:1 to 5:1according to the type of course and type of disablement.

21. Procedure for Recruitment. Except for 3 centres that re-cruited their trainees from outside, the others accepted only thosereferred to them by either the Social Welfare Department or theMedical and Health Department.

22. Additional Services provided

\ No. ofService I centres providing

Medical ...PsychologicalOccupational Therapy ...Assessment & evaluationSocial AdjustmentCaseworkPhysiotherapy ...Vocational counsellingAptitude and/or achievement testingPlacementFollow-up

such service

832978263

127

VISITS TO REHABILITATION CENTRES23. In the interest of time, we divided ourselves into two groupsand visited the following rehabilitation centres in July 1970: —

(a) Centres operated by the Social Welfare Department(i) Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre

(ii) World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre(iii) Kai Nang Training Centre(iv) Tsan Yuk Blind Welfare Centre(v) Tung Tau Blind Welfare Centre

(vi) Kwun Tong Settlement for the Severely Disabled(vii) Tsuen Wan Blind Welfare Centre

(6) Centres operated by the Hong Kong Society for the Blind(i) Hung Horn Broom Centre

(ii) Rotary Training Centre for the Blind(iii) Sheung Shui Special Centre(iv) Tai Wo Hau Special Centre(v) Wong Tai Sin Special and Welfare Centre

(vi) Factory for the Blind

(c) Medical Rehabilitation Centre operated by the Hong KongSociety for Rehabilitation

(d) New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Farm

(e) Caritas St. Godfrey's Pre-vocational Training School(f) Hong Kong School for the Deaf

(g) Lutheran Kwun Tong Vocational Training Centre(h) Hay Ling Chau Leprosarium.

24. The Caritas centre was a 3-year post-primary school offeringtraining, in addition to academic subjects, in basic mechanical andelectrical crafts at pre-vocational level to the able-bodied with a fewvacancies for deaf and dumb boys. The Hong Kong School for theDeaf had a printing workshop where they trained a few of their boys.

25. We also found out that the "training" offered at the HayLing Chau Leprosarium and the Medical Rehabilitation Centre wasbasically therapeutic and could not be considered as either vocationalor pre-vocational training.

8

26. In general, our visits confirmed the information provided inthe questionnaires by individual centres. Our observations and com-ments on these rehabilitation centres appear in the following para-graphs dealing with each type of disability separately.

PART III

OBSERVATIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

27. Based on the information collected from the postal survey andobservations during our visits, we make the following conclusions andrecommendations for the five main categories of disability.

28. HEARING DISABLED

Problem28.1. At the date of the survey, no reliable figures were availablein Hong Kong for the hearing disabled. Approximately 3,000 wereregistered with the Social Welfare Department. Judging from thestatistics on the number of people with a hearing loss in the UnitedKingdom and the United States of America it is possible to estimatethat at least 30,000 persons in Hong Kong suffer from a hearing loss.These people can be divided into three groups because of theirdiffering needs and abilities.

(i) Profoundly deaf prior to acquiring language—generally re-quire special training both academically and vocationallybecause of language deficiency.

(ii) Partially deaf or hard of hearing—usually these people areable to learn and function with minimal special help andconsideration.

(iii) Deafened—these are people who suffer a traumatic loss ofhearing after they have acquired language and speech.

Training

28.2. The survey revealed that three government centres and fourvoluntary vocational agencies were engaged in training and providingsheltered work and vocational and pre-vocational training was givento 80 students mainly deaf without speech. Also seven deaf personsattended sheltered workshops.

28.3. The quality of instruction in some of these centres wasdifficult to determine since a prescribed course of training for instructorsdealing with the deaf was not available in Hong Kong. While in-structors might have had specific training in the subjects they taught,they had not always received specialized training required to teachdeaf students. It often happened that a centre must employ an in-structor who knew his field of vocational training and hope that theinstructor would be able to learn about the handicap of deafness laterin his career.

28.4. It also happened that a centre could not afford to employ aseparate teacher for each separate handicap. It is quite unlikely thatan instructor will be qualified in teaching more than one type ofhandicapped trainees.

Conclusions

28.5. At the time of the survey, the training facilities dealt mostlywith the profoundly deaf prior to acquiring language, partly becausethe handicap was more extensive and partly because the people whowere partially deaf or hard of hearing, or deafened later in life, wereless likely to come forward seeking professional help. While consid-ering vocational training for the hearing handicapped we may noteseveral problems:—

(i) Deafness or hearing loss is generally not understood by thepublic as a disability that one need not be ashamed of. Mostparents and employers fail to recognize the potential of thosewho are afflicted with hearing loss.

(ii) Hong Kong does not have adequate academic facilities toprovide for people who are profoundly deaf prior to acquir-ing a language, with an education up to the level required foradmission to some training programmes or employmentfollowing training. For example, the deaf could be trainedto do many jobs in the post office, but they cannot satisfy theacademic requirement of Form V. The Survey revealed thatthe highest grade offered in any school for the deaf in HongKong was Form III.

(iii) Not enough has been done to familiarize the deaf and theirfamilies with the existing facilities offering vocational trainingto the deaf. Nor is enougji pre-vocational guidance andtraining available in schools for the deaf to guide the students

10-

in the choice of a vocation in line with their abilities andinterests.

(iv) The hearing disabled generally are reliable workers with agood productivity records. They are usually alert and carefuland not the accident risk many employers assume them tobe. While they are working they are not talking and theyare not distracted by the conversation of others. Comparedwith non-handicapped, they are less likely to leave their jobbecause while it is not particularly difficult to find employmentfor the deaf, it is not often possible to obtain a better posi-tion. This is due in part to the fact that many deaf childrenbegin their education late and terminate it early because ofthe pressure to earn money, as opposed to studying on aprimary school level while approaching adulthood.

28.6. As a result of the conditions stated above, some of the avail-able training centres were operating below their capacity and somewere even discontinuing courses which they had previously offered fordeaf students. The Social Welfare Department might indicate thatunemployment among the hearing handicapped was not a great pro-blem in Hong Kong, but underemployment was all too common ifnot almost universal. Where the opportunity to be employed wasreadily available, the opportunity for advancement and improvementwas not.

Recommendations

28.7. More effective communication to the public regarding voca-tional training opportunities for the deaf is needed. It is hoped thatthe Social Welfare Department and the newly formed Hong KongSociety for the Deaf will eliminate or at least reduce the informationgap. This newly formed society is now preparing a directory of centresand agencies serving the hearing disabled. Also, a major publicinformation programme is being planned in conjunction with a seminaron deafness scheduled for April 1971.

28.8. There should be professional training available for instructorsfor the deaf as well as planned programmes for the continued pro-fessional growth of instructors. Such programmes may take theform of seminars, workshops, inter-school teachers* conference, aprofessional journal, and similar activities. It may be that thenumber of instructors for the deaf enrolled would not be sufficient to

11

justify an extensive programme, but it could be carried out in con-junction with instructors for other types of disabled persons.

28.9. Much more needs to be done in the areas of pre-vocationalguidance for deaf students in schools clubs for the deaf.

28.10. Further study and re-evaluation is needed for trades in whichthe deaf can be trained, and their subsequent assured absorption intoindustry. Advice on present training programmes in the United Statesof America and the United Kingdom should be obtained and modifiedto suit industrial requirements in Hong Kong.

28.11. If paragraph 28.10 is adopted, further re-evaluation ofacademic and pre-vocational training will also have to be carried outin order that the students' present level of education is raised to FormV so that they can cope with the higher standard of training fortheir future careers.

29. MENTALLY RETARDED

Problem

29.1. No survey has ever been carried out to ascertain the totalnumber of mental retardates in Hong Kong. In Taiwan a samplesurvey revealed that the incidence of mental deficiency was 3.4 per1,000 of population. If this can be used as a guideline to assumethe number of retardates in Hong Kong it can be estimated that therewould be approximately 13,600. On 30th June 1970, 3,542 personswere registered with the Social Welfare Department as mentalretardates, of whom 1,430 were 16 years and over.

29.2 The Steering Committee for Mentally Retarded was set upin July 1969. It consisted of representatives from the ColonialSecretariat, Social Welfare Department, Medical & Health Departmentand the Education Department. Its purpose was to review thearrangements for dealing with mental retardates, to promote co-ordination between the three departments and to help to ensure thatthe limited resources available would be put to the best use. Underthe Steering Committee an Assessment Team was set up in August1969. The aim of this team was to conduct proper assessment andscreening of mentally retarded cases on the Social Welfare Departmentregister, in institutions and training centres, both Government andvoluntary agencies. This would provide a uniformed grading of thementally retarded referred to the Team. With this comprehensive

12

information appropriate services could therefore be planned to meetthe needs of the mentally retarded. The team consisted of one caseworker (Social Welfare Department), one psychiatrist (Medical andHealth Department) and one educational psychologist (EducationDepartment).

Training

29.3. Voluntary agencies and Government departments had madejoint efforts to educate and train the mentally retarded, though theSocial Welfare Department was responsible for vocational rehabilita-tion of retarded persons. The training facilities provided at the dateof the survey were as follows: —

(i) Aberdeen Rehabilitation CentreA group of 15 retarded young persons, aged 14-16 years, werereceiving pre-vocational training in simple handicrafts,gardening and woodwork.

(ii) World Rehabilitation Fund Day CentreProvision was available for pre-vocational training of 40retarded young persons aged 14-18 years, in metal work;woodwork; tailoring and sewing; general handicrafts.

(iii) Tsan Yuk Children's CentreThere were 20 places for pre-vocational training of retardedpersons of 14-18 years of age. They spent part of theirtime on simple handicrafts,

(iv) Tung Tau Children's CentreProvision and programmes were similar to that of the TsanYuk Children's Centre.

(v) Kai Nang Training CentreThis centre provided both junior and senior training courses.There were 100 places for vocational training of youngpersons at an age between 16 and 25 who were mildly re-tarded. Five simple trades were provided:—carpentry; shoe-making; tailoring; domestic help and general handicrafts.All 100 places were filled and there was a long waiting listwhich did not include prospective school leavers from thespecial Government classes and the Morninghill School.

13

Conclusions and Recommendations29.4. Vocational Training. The existing vocational training pro-grammes for the mentally retarded were far from adequate to meetdemands made upon them. Additional skills that are within thecapacity of the retarded need to be introduced. /There are fourpossibilities which should be given serious consideration (a) book-binding (b) laundry work (e.g. pressing and ironing work) (c) metalpressing and (d) farming. Bookbinding, laundry work and metalpressing require training. The length of courses would be determinedby the individual's ability. Training for farming can be obtained "onthe job" because farming in Hong Kong is not highly mechanizedand mostly involves manual labour. Retarded persons can be trainedas competent farm workers. Expert advice and guidance for such aproject should be sought from the Agriculture and Fisheries Depart-ment.

29.5. Co-ordination. Both Government and voluntary agenciesplay their part in aiding the mentally retarded. There was however adefinite lack of co-ordination between these bodies which more oftenthan not resulted in duplication of efforts. A joint council for thementally retarded should be formed with representatives from Govern-ment, voluntary agencies, and employers. Its aims should be to con-solidate proposals and the planning of vocational training for mentalretardates alone.

29.6. Publicity. It is neccessary to publicize to the community asa whole, not only the problems of the mentally retarded but alsotheir capabilities. If the public are made aware of these it will un-doubtedly affect their present attitude toward these disabled. Indus-trialists should be encouraged to visit vocational training centos tofamiliarize themselves with the abilities of the mentally retarded, andtheir advice sought on suitable training for employment in industry.Any successful programmes for the mentally disabled must depend onthe support and active interest of the community as a whole.

29J. Sheltered Workshops. Open employment for the mentallyretarded is extremely limited at present, and more often than not,impossible. Establishment of sheltered workshops, geared to industrialneeds is a "must" to help bridge the gap between training and place-ment, and their eventual return to the community to lead a usefuland independent life. It is understood that the Social WelfareDepartment has plans to set up a series of sheltered workshops to

14

ensure eventual placement and turnover of trained mentally retardedpersons. This Working Party fully supports these plans.

29.8. Halfway Houses. Retarded adults who have been institu-tionalized for a number of years find it extremely difficult to adjustto the outside world and the change in routine daily living in thecommunity. Halfway houses (residential) would serve as a usefultransit centre for persons considered fit by a psychiatrist and wouldhelp to wean them gradually from the sheltered atmosphere ofinstitutional life. Halfway houses could be annexed to sheltered work-shops for the sake of economy.

30. THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED

Problem30.1. No comprehensive statistics are available on the physicallydisabled but in the main census to be held in March 1971 the disabledare to be included under four headings:—(a) loss of locomotion;(&) physical loss of limbs; (c) loss of senses or speech; (d) mentaldefects. These figures will be for the use of the Medical and HealthDepartment and will not be published in the results of the census.The Social Welfare Department keeps a register of disabled people,but these figures (5,885 physically disabled at the time of writing thisreport) represent only those who have required help from the depart-ment in one form or another. During the period from 1st April 1968to 31st March 1969 the Workmen's Compensation Unit of the LabourDepartment assisted 1761 disabled workmen who had sustainedpermanent disabilities to obtain compensation under the Workmen'sCompensation Ordinance. These figures probably represent only avery small proportion of the total number of physically disabled inHong Kong.

Training

30.2. The postal survey and visits revealed that only three centresprovided training for the physically disabled. Two were administeredby the Social Welfare Department and one by a voluntary agency.

(i) Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre (Social Welfare Department)Residential—offered 9 vocational training courses in: —Printing (educational standard of Primary 6 is required);Woodwork; Electrical appliance repairs (Primary 6, seden-

15

tary); Leatherwork (sedentary); Industrial sewing (sedentary);Tailoring and sewing (sedentary); Light mechanics (Primary6); Domestic help; Gardening. Only three of these courseswere open to girls.

(ii) World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre (Social WelfareDepartment)—offered 4 pre-vocational and 5 vocational train-ing courses and were respectively:—Metalwork; Woodwork;Tailoring and Sewing (sedentary, open to girls); Generalhandicrafts (sedentary, open to girls); Printing (Primary 6);Mechanics (Primary 6); Radio and TV repairs (Form IIpreferred, sedentary); Industrial machine sewing (sedentary);Machine knitting (some sedentary workers). A clerical classwas planned but had not opened due to difficulty in recruitinginstructors and to a lesser extent, trainees. Only 2 of the 5vocational training courses were open to girls.

(iii) The Rwun Tong Vocational Training Centre—catered pri-marily for the able-bodied but two courses were open to thephysically disabled: —watch and clock repairing (Form I) andboot and shoe repairing (Primary 6). Both courses weresedentary and for men only. (We were informed later thatthe boot and shoe repairing course had been suspended inAugust 1970 through lack of applicants).

Sheltered Workshops facilities303. There were three sheltered workshops, (the World Rehabilita-tion Fund Day Centre, the Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre and theSettlement for the Severely Disabled), two of which were residentialand were open to the physically disabled. All three centres wereadministered by the Social Welfare Department. Day workers received$1 per day incentive payment, a free lunch and travelling allowance.The total earnings of the workers varied according to their outputand the nature of the work. Work was provided in the form ofsimple assembly, rattan and plastic work, sock knitting and mending,machine sewing and finishing and tapestry. At the World Rehabilita-tion Fund Day Centre, a work activity group offered simple work tothose who were below sheltered workshop standard. The nature ofwork varied according to what had been contracted from outsidefactories.

Work Placement of trainees30.4. In the Social Welfare Department training centres, placement

16

was in general undertaken by the placement officers (Placementsection SWD), but jobs were often found by the instructors independ-ently. The World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre had successfullyplaced printers, machine sewers and knitters. Because trainees werestill under training in the mechanics class and the electronics class itwas not possible to comment on placement in this field. TheAberdeen Rehabilitation Centre seemed to have very little outlet forcertain categories of its graduates, particularly in the gardening, wood-work and domestic fields. The staff of the Kwun Tong VocationalTraining Centre undertook placement for their trainees, and weregenerally very successful. In cases when jobs could not be found forthem, boot and shoe repairing trainees were given the necessarymaterials to start their own businesses.

Education of the physically disabled30.5. As with placement and sheltered workshops, education isnot in our terms of reference, but they all have an important bearingon the underlying problems connected with vocational training; thisis especially so with regard to education. The disabled are limitedin their choice of employment, not only on account of their disabilities,but largely because of their limited education. With a higher standardof education (say Form V) they would be able to pursue more worth-while and satisfying careers.

30.6. There were a number of primary schools and clubs forphysically disabled children run by voluntary agencies and the SocialWelfare Department respectively. Three were residential. Theeducation provided was mostly up to Primary 6. Part time primaryeducation was provided in the pre-vocational sections of AberdeenRehabilitation Centre and the World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre.

ConclusionsVocational Training30.7. Not enough training facilities were provided for sedentaryworkers. Though there were several courses of training for boys,those with severe handicaps and little education were limited to thesame courses as girls. This imposed a severe strain on tailoring,machine sewing and knitting classes, particularly the former which wasalways wait-listed.

30.8. It was observed at the Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre andthe World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre that certain training

17

facilities were underutilized, particularly the mechanics classes. Thiswas because prospective trainees were either too disabled or in-sufficiently educated to qualify, since such training required Primary 6education, and involved standing all day. It appeared that thosewhose education was good enough and whose disabilities were slightenough for them to be eligible for acceptance to these classes wereable to find alternative training or employment elsewhere.

Sheltered workshops30.9. Patients discharged from hospital and unable to return totheir former employment either waited until suitable jobs were foundfor them by the Social Welfare Department placement service orentered one of the Social Welfare Department's sheltered workshops.The majority of these patients could not consider vocational trainingdue to the pressing need to support their families. There were nounsubsidized centres in which a disabled person could earn aneconomic wage.

30.10. There were no sheltered workshops providing residentialfacilities for the more severely disabled. All those admitted to SocialWelfare Department centre must be able to look after themselveswithout help. This ruled out a number of potential workers whowere not fully independent.

Placement30.11. The placement section of the Social Welfare Department wasofficially responsible for the placement of the physically disabled,while the Employment Assistance Scheme was permitted to place onlythose over the age of 55 years. This placed a strain on the placementservice. Since September 1967, 482 physically disabled people hadbeen referred to the Social Welfare Department for job placement—375 orthopaedic cases, 67 T.B., and 40 Hansens. Of these 277 hadbeen successfully placed in jobs, 6 had been referred for vocationaltraining and 12 had been referred for sheltered work. There were187 cases still in hand, but of these 84 were, apparently, unlikely tobe placed due to age or disability.

Education

30.12. There were no formal special secondary schools for thephysically disabled. Those who could not attend a normal schoolusually went on to one of the vocational training centres.

18

Recommendations

30.13. Vocational training should be geared to the needs of industryso that present placement problems are reduced. The standard ofvocational training should be raised to a level of proficiency acceptableto industry, and to this end standardized trade tests should beintroduced and appropriate certificates of proficiency issued.

30.14. To assist with the raising of training standards, staff engagedon vocational training should be highly skilled, professionally qualifiedand paid accordingly. They should have some knowledge and under-standing of the problems of the disabled and should be capable ofadapting tools and equipment to their use.

30.15. More training facilities should be provided for the lesseducated and more severely disabled. At the time of the visits, someclasses were half full while others had a waiting list. A balance canbe made by introducing a greater variety of sedentary trainings suitedto the needs of the majority of applicants, such as transistor radioassembly, toy assembly, wig making, machine knitting (on domesticmachines), beaded work, metal pressing and fly-tying.

30.16. Some training courses appeared to have inadequate employ-ment outlets; these should be reviewed and appropriate action taken.

30.17. There is a great need for a workshop, run on factory lines,in which disabled people could earn an economic wage. Perhaps theInternational Labour Office which has set up similar projects else-where could be called in to help. Advice from Remploy in the UnitedKingdom, Goodwill Industries and the Abilities Inc. in the UnitedStates of America, and Sun Industries in Japan, should be sought.

30.18. There should be training and sheltered work facilities opento those who require a little nursing care. At present, only thosedisabled who are independent can be accepted for training and forsheltered work. Perhaps the existing centres could make some pro-vision for these cases or alternatively a residential centre for theseverely disabled providing sheltered work and nursing care could beset up. Ideally such a centre should be run by a voluntary organiza-tion with government subvention, as it would fall between the spheresof the Medical and Health and Social Welfare Departments, and mightthus prove awkward to administer if run by government.

19

30.19. Job placement services were inadequate to meet the demandsmade upon them. The Working Party is well aware of the presentsituation, but feels strongly that the Social Welfare Department shouldshare the responsibility of job placement with others, so as to widenthe field of opportunity for job seekers. The scope of the Employ-ment Assistance Scheme should be reconsidered and increased tocover the physically disabled, and appropriate government subventionsgiven. Extra staff for the Social Welfare Department placementservice would not necessarily help overcome the present difficultieswith placement.

30.20. Where possible physically disabled children should be en-couraged to attend normal schools. In many cases the problem is oneof transport. Boarding public transport is a hazard even for the able-bodied. Perhaps this problem could be solved by the provision of atravelling allowance or suitable hostel accommodation near the schools.If training standards are to be raised, and more training facilitiesprovided, it is absolutely vital that physically disabled childrenshould be given a fair chance to participate in what is offered, andthis can only be achieved with a higher standard of education.

31. THE PSYCHIATRICALLY DISABLED

Problem

31.1. Unlike physical disabilities, psychiatric disability cannot beprecisely assessed and often passes unnoticed by the laymen. Twobroad groups of the psychiatrically disabled may be delineated:—Onegroup consists of psychiatric out-patients who are handicapped bychronic neurotic symptoms and longstanding personality difficulties.They are vulnerable to stress to which they react in a defeatist attitudewith somatic complaints or helplessness. The other group consists ofdischarged mental patients with residual personality defects as a resultof a previous psychotic illness, mainly schizophrenia. They showpoverty of speech, social withdrawal, lack of initiative, poor time-keeping, slowness and underactivity. Their previous work habits arelost and skills unlearned through long hospitalization and socialisolation. When their symptoms are marked, they are only suitablefor occupations in sheltered workshops. When their disability is slightor even moderate, their return to open employment is possible, withor without the help of the medical social service or the placement

20

service of the Social Welfare Department. However, they will havea much better chance of finding employment if they are given a coursein vocational training.

31.2. In 1969 there were 11,304 patients registered in Governmentpsychiatric outpatients' clinics. This number included the follow-upcases from Castle Peak Hospital. It had been estimated that 5% ofthem i.e. 562 showed some residual personality defect or have chronicneurotic symptoms but were still suitable for vocational training andsubsequent employment. About the same number, including thechronic patients at present in hospital, had marked disability and weresuitable only for sheltered work. Although these figures are far fromgiving the true picture of the problem in Hong Kong, yet they aresufficient to make the public aware of the need to provide a specialtype of training for the psychiatrically disabled.

Existing Training Facilities

31.3. Training or sheltered work for the psychiatrically disabledwas provided by the following centres: —

Name of Centre Capacity Enrollment

Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre 30 20

Tung Tau Blind Welfare Centre — 8World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre — 4New Life Psychiatric Farm 20 20

(40 in 1971)KwunTong Settlement for Severely Disabled... 5 2Tsuen Wan Blind Welfare Centre — 1

55

of which 5 were administered by the Social Welfare Department andthe other by a voluntary organization. The two Blind Welfare Centresaccepted psychiatrically disabled people living in the vicinity of thecentres. Of the 6 centres, only the Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centreand the World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre were providingvocational training and psychiatric care. The others were shelteredworkshops. Although the psychiatrically disabled received the samekind of training as those suffering from other types of disability,appropriate attention had not been given to their psychiatric disability.

21

Partly as a result of this and partly due to the selection procedure,most trainees remained in training for an undue length of time.

Conclusions

31.4. The 30 places in the Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre assignedfor training of the psychiatrically disabled were far below the actualneed, and training seemed to make little progress because of lack ofqualified staS to care for the psychiatric disability of the trainees.On the other hand, the number of places for the psychiatrically dis-abled in the World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre was not limited,but the majority of prospective psychiatric trainees were either un-aware of this or knew very little about the types of training availablethere. More publicity is therefore needed in recruiting more traineesto this Centre.

31.5. All efforts have been made by the occupational therapists inthe Castle Peak Hospital and mental health centres to assess and toutilize whatever abilities and aptitudes were left in the psychiatricallydisabled. However, to return them as productive members of thecommunity, a vocational training centre is more suitable than ahospital occupational therapy department because of the followingadvantages: (i) a normal environment where "patients" are no longercast in the sick role but in the "worker" role (ii) up-to-date equip-ment (iii) length of training determined by the skill to be learnt andincluding deliberate inculcation of good working habits (iv) normalincentives such as a regular wage. However, occupational therapywhich can be regarded as the "medical phase" of rehabilitation isvaluable in activating the patients initially when they are still underactive treatment. In a number of cases when it is difficult to tell ifthey are suitable for vocational training, the Occupational TherapyDepartment can do the preliminary assessment.

Recommendations

31.6. Vocational training should aim at placement in open employ-ment and should be geared to meet industrial and commercial needsin order to ensure continuity between training and job placement.This is especially important in the case of the psychiatrically disabledbecause apart from the trade learnt, the "re-motivation" processcannot be interrupted for long.

22

31.7. The existing training facilities are far from being able to meetthe demand if a good proportion of the psychiatrically disabled suit-able for vocational training will come forward. We therefore recom-mend that a multi-storied training centre be built for most categoriesof the disabled as it is possible to mingle the majority of thepsychiatrically disabled with other disabled persons. By having alarge centre, liaison between the staff of the centre and those of theMental Health Service of the Medical and Health Department or otherservices and specialized personnel, would be made much easier.Furthermore, special courses for instructors and crash courses forolder disabled persons can also be carried out in a large centre wheresuch facilities can be made easily and economically possible.

31.8. It is essential that the psychiatric staff form part of theselection unit to provide relevant information to the training staff e.g.the instructors. They should be available for consultation and forreassessment when needed. The trained instructors should concedeadditional supervision and individual attention and should report onthe psychiatric trainees' behaviour problems which are due to theirunderlying psychiatric conditions. The instructors should, on noaccount, concede to a lower standard of progress from the traineeswith regards to quality and working habits. This close communica-tion between the psychiatric staff and the training staff is vital inpromoting a better understanding of mutual goals and methods.

31.9. As regards sheltered workshops, more should be provided forthe discharged mental patients with marked disability. If they arehomeless, they can reside in the two "half-way" houses run at presentby two voluntary organizations.

32. VISUALLY DISABLEDProblem32.1. The exact number of blind persons in Hong Kong is notknown. The Social Welfare Department recorded 5,439 registeredblind at the end of July, 1970. The age break down of the 5,439registered blind was as follows: —

0- 5 186-15 ... 187

16-18 7519-39 74440-59 1,26260 & over 3,153

23

It could be seen that 262 were of school age, of this number, just over200 were attending either the Canossa or the Ebenezer School for theBlind. 362 blind persons (this number includes partially sighted) wereeither in sheltered workshops or attending training. The SocialWelfare Department placement service has placed 53 in jobs such asclerical staff, telephone operators, dictaphone typists, masseurs,gardeners and general workers since September 1967 up to July 1970.However, these numbers at school, in centres and those placed, totalless than a thousand. According to a rough estimate (Ref. Page 38of the Annual Report 1968-69 of the Hong Kong Society for theBlind), there were an addition of about 550 blind people in outworkor self-employment as fortunetellers, ministrels and workers, amongwhich 5 were practising musicians with licences in public parks. Theaged population of the blind is over 55% of the registered total, thusleaving about 1,000 to be catered for, although we have no way todetermine whether these 1,000 will need some form of training.However the Social Welfare Department's register only covered thosecoming forward for treatment and those certified blind by the govern-ment ophthalmists, and the Working Party had no way to discoverother blind persons. We hope that the Department of Census andStatistics may be able to assist in the coming census in 1971.

Training

32.2. Eleven centres were visited. iSix of these were administeredby the Hong Kong Society for the Blind; this number included theFactory for the Blind and the Rotary Training Centre for the Blind.The others were administered by the Social Welfare Department.

32.3. Of the eleven centres only one, the Rotary Training Centrefor the Blind, gave vocational training to the blind. This Centreoffered courses in telephony, massage, and piano tuning; in addition,every trainee was taught dictaphone typing. The Centre was equippedto take 30 trainees and applicants required a slightly higher educationand knowledge of written and spoken English. The training andtraining equipment were adequate. However, the number of tradesoffered was limited and might not prove sufficient for the future.

32.4. The Factory for the Blind gave instruction for occupation inbutton making, crate assembly, chalk, rattan, file tags, rattan cord

24

joining, broom and brush making and cardboard box assembly, butnone of these provided an adequate opening for blind people intoindustry. Though the Factory did give training, it could not beclassed as a training centre, rather a sheltered workshop. Howeveithe situation was changing. The Society for the Blind had re-assessedits position on industrial training and with the assistance of the HongKong Productivity Centre, local and overseas experts, (such as Mr.A. T. ROBERTS of New Zealand Foundation for the Blind and Mr.R. A. BABONAU of Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind) ithad implemented a re-organization programme within the Factory,designed to improve efficiency and to place accent on training foropen industrial placement. The Society was also looking into thedevelopment of Placement Services in conjunction with the SocialWelfare Department's placement service. At the same time the Societywas studying the establishment of an Assessment and Further TrainingUnit.

32.5. The other centres of the Hong Kong Society for the Blindwere sheltered workshops. Blind workers were engaged in broom andbrush making, some rattan and simple assembly. All blind workerswith this Society received a piece-work wage plus travel allowanceand good attendance pay. One main meal a day was also provided.They worked a 5-day week and the hours were from 9:00 a.m. to4:30 p.m. Access to all these centres was good except for one whichwas on the roof of a resettlement block.

32.6. Centres administered by the Social Welfare Department onlygave sheltered work, such as simple assembly. Earnings of workerswere subsidized by Social Welfare Department with an incentivepayment of $1 per day plus a mid-day meal and reimbursement oftravelling expenses.

Conclusions and Recommendations

32.7. There is a definite need for more specialized training for theblind. To do this, the blind will need a higher education. It ispossible to train the blind in occupations such as physiotherapy,computer programming and teaching, to name a few. However veryfew blind children were educated to cope with this level of training.A higher standard of education (Form V9 Hong Kong Certificate of

25

Education) is necessary if blind young people of the future are to begiven a chance to choose a more worthwhile career.

32.8. On the other hand, there are a large number of blind personswith a low level of education to cater for, and the need of sufficienttraining to enable them to secure employment in industrial fields isnecessary. As no adequate training for open employment is providedfor the blind at present, perhaps the sheltered work could be bettergeared to this need. Though the individual would not receive voca-tional training in its true sense, they will have received a good workingknowledge, thus paving an opening to "open employment" when theopportunity arises. Therefore the Working Party supports the actiontaken recently by the Hong Kong Society for the Blind on the re-organization of its Factory, with emphasis in giving training in adisciplined and industrial environment.

32.9. As the training programmes for the blind are still in theirinfancy, we would strongly recommend that continued advice shouldbe sought from overseas' authorities on the blind and the InternationalLabour Organization.

32.10. No facilities are at present provided for those near blind orpersons with visual impairment. The Working Party believes thatthese unfortunate ones need special assistance and training, as muchas those blind persons, and suggest that the Social Welfare Departmentlooks into this problem.

PART IV

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

33. In Part in, we covered the problems, training facilities, con-clusions and recommendations on the vocational rehabilitation ofdifferent categories of disabled persons and here, we shall list therecommendations we deem applicable to the vocational rehabilitationof the disabled in general.

ADVICE FROM OVERSEAS34. In view of the limited number of training courses availableto the disabled, it is suggested that further investigation into more

26

varied courses of vocational training is essential for all categories ofthe disabled. Advice can be obtained from such organizations as theInternational Labour Office and the World Health Organization, andfrom countries more experienced and sophisticated with regard tosolving the problems of vocational rehabilitation of the disabled.

UP-GRADING AND FULL-UTILIZATION OF PRESENT TRAINING PROGRAMMES

35. It is recommended that present training programmes shouldbe up-graded to such a standard that trainees can meet the demandsof industry. This can be achieved by seeking advice from employersas recommended in paragraph 49.

36. It was observed that many of the courses provided have notbeen fully utilized. It was possible that many of those eligible forentry into these courses were not aware of their existence, (refersection on Publicity)

INSTRUCTORS37. The results of the postal survey and visits to these rehabilita-tion centres reveal that very few instructors in direct contact withthe trainees have had special training in instructing disabled persons.Although many instructors might be qualified craftsmen in thetrades they taught, they were not specially trained to teach disabledtrainees. People in general are reluctant to deal with disabled personsand many centres, very often, have had to accept instructors withminimal qualifications. Furthermore, the comparatively low salariesthese centres offered did not attract people of the right calibre.

38. We understand that the Morrison Hill Technical Instituteoffers part-time instructor training courses to in-service instructors.The Special Education Section of the Education Department has alsoindicated its willingness to arrange a special course for instructorsapart from the courses it has been running for teachers teaching inschools for the disabled. We recommend that this training courseshould be offered as soon as practicable. We also understand thatthe training unit of the Social Welfare Department has been runningvarious in-service training courses for persons engaged in social work.We recommend that this unit should consider the possibility of runningcourses for instructors.

27

39. We recommend that rehabilitation centres should take thefollowing steps to improve the proficiency as well as efficiency oftheir instructors: —

(i) Instructors, who have not attended any instructor trainingcourses before, should be encouraged with incentives toattend these courses.

(ii) In recruiting new instructors, preference should be given tothose in possession of an instructor training certificate issuedby the Morrison Hill Technical Institute.

(iii) All instructors should be encouraged to attend the specialtraining course recommended to be run by the SpecialEducation Section of the Education Department or the SocialWelfare Department.

(iv) Appropriate remuneration should be given to qualifiedinstructors, and in any case, their salary should not be lowerthan that paid to a qualified workshop instructor by theEducation Department.

(v) Instructors should also be given the opportunity to attendadvanced courses to keep them abreast of developments intheir own fields.

40. Although we have recommended the Special EducationSection of the Education Department to run special courses forinstructors working in rehabilitation centres, the Education Depart-ment may find it more economical to run a special course for thiscategory of instructors by broadening the syllabuses of the existingworkshop instructor training course to include subjects which willenable them to instruct disabled trainees efficiently.

41. The instructor to trainee ratio reported by rehabilitationcentres surveyed varied with the types of disability served and tradestaught, and was between 1:5 and 1:20, with the latter ratio adoptedby centres administered by the Social Welfare Department. In answerto a letter from the Committee on Vocational Training, the Inter-national Labour Office replied that they advocated a ratio of 1:16 inworkshops for the abled-bodied. We therefore recommend that theSocial Welfare Department should at least adopt this ratio. This isimportant as, unlike the able-bodied, the disabled trainees requireadditional care and attention from the instructors.

28

TRANSPORT42. We understand that some rehabilitation centres are at presentproviding transport facilities for their trainees suffering from a certaintype of disability, but we suggest that every severely physicallydisabled and other disabled persons in genuine need, should be pro-vided with such facilities. In as much as the disabled are restrictedin the choice of centres where they may receive training, the cost oftransportation frequently constitutes a burden to their families. Atravelling allowance should therefore be made available to the needyones.

OLDER DISABLED PERSONS43. It may seem that much of the report deals with the youngerdisabled persons. It is often difficult to attract the older disabledpersons to a training course for the following two reasons: —

(i) A disabled men, who has a family to support, will not wishto consider training or re-training, especially for a period ofover one year. He will only be interested in obtaining workof any kind that can offer security to his dependants.

(ii) An older person does not adapt so easily to learning a newskill.

When considering these two points and many other difficultiesfacing a person who is disabled by injury, it is necessary to view thewhole problem from a different angle. Accelerated or crash coursesof about three months duration is the answer, and if possible in thesame trade he was conversant with. His past knowledge andexperience will help him overcome many of his initial difficulties.

ADAPTATION OF MACHINERY44. Very often a disabled person, who after a period of traininghas proved himself very capable in his trade, is prevented from joiningopen employment because a particular piece of machinery needs aslight adjustment or modification to enable him to operate it efficiently.Industrialists and employers should be urged to seek advice from theSocial Welfare Department or the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilita-tion on the modification or adaptation of machinery for their disabledemployees. Suitable adaptation or modification can also help toreturn a worker disabled through industrial accident or injury toemployment at an early date.

29

CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES45. Rehabilitation for the disabled is at present being carried outby Government and a number of voluntary agencies, most of whichare subsidized by Government. This Working Party has no intentionof under-rating the work of these parties, but it feels strongly thatbetter results would be achieved if there was stronger co-ordinationbetween them.

ASSESSMENT, TRAINING AND PLACEMENT46. The Social Welfare Department has since June 1969 starteda service to handle the placement of trained disabled persons underthe age of 55. With a staff of three officers, this service has, as ofSeptember 1970, successfully placed 298 disabled persons in industryand other organizations. As a long-term policy we recommend thatplacement facilities should be expanded, modified and brought into thesphere of a central body as outlined below.

47. To avoid duplication of efforts and to put the limitedresources available into the best use, we recommend the creation ofa central body with representatives from Government, voluntaryagencies and other interested parties to be responsible for every aspectof vocational rehabilitation, such as the assessment of the residualability of the disabled, their training and placement. Under thiscentral body, a central office would be established to run the day-to-day business.

48. In the central office, groups of assessment officers and place-ment officers specialized in each type of disability should be recruited,and they should have a genuine interest in the problems of the disabled.An assessment officer should be able to assess the ability, both physicaland mental, of a disabled person to find out whether he needs furthereducation or training before he can reasonably earn himself a living.A placement officer should have a thorough knowledge of the needsof industry and the standard of training courses offered by rehabilita-tion centres. Each officer can be responsible for a certain numberof disabled persons and their follow-up. For example, an assessmentofficer should visit training centres or schools frequently to record theprogress of his "clients", while a placement officer should maintainclose contact with his "clients" and their employers for at least sixmonths or until his "clients" settle down in their jobs.

30

49. To assist the central body to advise individual rehabilitationcentres on their training syllabuses, a training advisory committeeshould be set up. This committee should consist of training personnel,educationalists, social workers, and industrialists to assess the trainingcourses offered to the disabled and to advise on their improvementso as to enhance the employment opportunity of the trainees.

PLACEMENT FACILITIES—IMMEDIATE MEASURES

50. We understand the establishment of such a central body willtake some time to be realized. As an immediate measure to helpplacing the disabled into proper employment, we recommend thatwhere there is sufficient need a voluntary agency should recruit itsown placement officers immediately, to handle the placement of itstrainees. These officers can then be transferred to the central officeonce the central body is created. This will help to guarantee a smoothtransfer from the present set-up to the future centralized organizatoin.

SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

51. As mentioned in Part I, we have been advised by theChairman of the Industrial Training Advisory Committee that shelteredworkshops are the concern of the Social Welfare Department and areoutside the scope of the Advisory Committee. In this report we have,therefore, only mentioned sheltered workshops in so far as they werenecessary in our deliberations on training.

52. Sheltered workshops are always necessary for most of thementally retarded and the severely disabled. For people sufferingfrom a lesser degree of disability, a sheltered workshop can be con-sidered as a temporary workplace after training, until they find openemployment. Here they should have the opportunity to continue theirskilled work at a standard equivalent to that found in industry. Thiswill help to achieve a smoother transfer of a disabled person from asheltered workshop to a factory.

PUBLICITY

53. The placement officers of rehabilitation centres may some-times find it possible to persuade a few enlightened employers totake on some disabled persons to work in their factories. This is not

31

the end of the problem. These disabled persons may find that theyare not accepted by their foremen and co-workers, and this un-co-operative attitude eventually forces them to leave their jobs.

54. In order to change the general attitude towards the disabled,the public will have to be educated to realize that disabled personsare by no means useless and that they can be trained to do usefulwork. This education is a long process and can only be done throughthe mass media of communication such as the press, radio andespecially television.

55. Disabled children and their parents must be made to realizethat the disabled can be trained as useful citizens able to take theirplace as equals beside the able-bodied. Furthermore advice andinformation on existing training facilities and types of assistanceobtainable from Government departments should be readily availableto them.

56. Industrialists and other employers should be invited to visitrehabilitation centres to see for themselves what a disabled person canbe trained to do. They must also be made aware that for certainjobs, a disabled person can do as well as, if not better than, theable-bodied. Furthermore, everybody has the moral responsibility tohelp the disabled, and there is no better way of helping them than togive them a job and let them earn their own living.

EDUCATION

57. The Working Party has, in this report repeatedly mentionedthe inadequacy of facilities for the education of disabled persons formore sophisticated training and better employment opportunities. Weare fully aware that education is not within our terms of reference butwe feel that deliberations on training would be incomplete if nomention is made of the educational background of the trainees, which,obviously, coupled with the type of disability of the trainees willdetermine the type of training suitable for them.

58. We believe that every disabled child according to his ability,should be assisted to attain the highest level of education. This willmean that greater provision must be made for disabled children tostudy in educational institutions for the able-bodied. It is alsorecommended that transport facilities for disabled children should be

32

provided, when boarding in the vicinity of the school is impossible toarrange, because public transport for the disabled is hazardousespecially so for the young.

TSAU TSOR-YAN

(Chairman)

T. J. BARTLETT(Member)

H. R. KNIGHT(represented by

Mr. AU-YEUNG Man-tak)(Member)

MRS. R. CHENG(Co-opted Member)

DR. H. S. Y. FANG(Co-opted Member)

REV. L. R. JASPER(Co-opted Member)

MR. Ko KI-CHUNG(Co-opted Member)

DR. Lo WAI-HOI(Co-opted Member)

MRS. V. McCosH(represented by MR, W. TAM)

(Co-opted Member)

Miss D. MOWAT(Co-opted Member)

R. RlXON

(Secretary)

33

APPENDIX A

REPORT ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING FACILITIESIN REHABILITATION CENTRES

INTRODUCTION1. As mentioned in paragraph 5 of our Report on Vocational Training Centresin Hong Kong, we now report on the existing vocational training facilities in rehabilita-tion centres in Hong Kong.2. During last year, members of this committee have visited and discussed withthe managing authorities of all the rehabilitation centres in Hong Kong. We foundthat some of the centres are intended only as sheltered workshops without offering anyform of training, while others offer only rudimentary training to the handicapped.There are three rehabilitation centres, all of which are run by the Social Welfare Depart-ment offering, among other facilities, vocational training to disabled persons of varyingdegrees of disability. They are:—

(a) the Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre;(b) the Kai Nang Training Centre; and(c) the World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre.

THE ABERDEEN REHABILITATION CENTRE3. This is a residential rehabilitation centre completed in 1964 with a totalcapacity of 450. It serves the purposes of:—

(a) a transit home for the aged,(b) a social rehabilitation centre for the mentally or physically handicapped,(c) a vocational training centre for the disabled,(d) a sheltered workshop for the severely handicapped.

4. The centre provides hostel accommodation to a maximum of 180 traineesand 70 severely handicapped persons who work in 4 sheltered workshops. 9 vocationaltraining courses with a maximum of 20 places each are offered in the centre. They are:—

Course Present EnrolmentPrinting 12Carpentry 7Electrical appliances repairs 18Light mechanics 6Tailoring 19Leather work 7Gardening 18Industrial sewing ... 16Domestic help ... 19

5. The length of each course varies from 18 months to 2 years depending largelyon the educational background and degree of physical disability of the trainees. Thereis one instructor to each class.

THE KAI NANG TRAINING CENTRE6. The Kai Nang Training Centre, built in 1968 mainly for the mentally retarded,will accommodate a maximum of 160 trainees. The trainees are divided into two sec-tions—the juniors (aged 8-15) and the seniors (aged 16-25). Hostel facilities are pro-vided to 50 seniors on condition that they can benefit from the training and that theyare orphaned/living far away from town/that their home environment is such thatwould be extremely detrimental to their emotional growth.

34

APPENDIX A (Contd.)

1. Special training will be provided to a maximum of 60 juniors with emphasison self-help skills, social adjustment, educational, musical and recreational activitiesand economically useful work. They are allowed to stay in the centre until they reachthe age of 15 when they will be referred to one of the following centres for one to twoyears pre-vocational training:—

Tsan Yuk Training Centre for the Mentally Retarded;Tung Tau Training Centre for the Mentally Retarded; andThe World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre.

8. Seniors at the age of 16 of 25 will be allowed to stay for a maximum of twoyears when they are taught one of the following 4 trades:—

Course Present Enrolment(a) Woodworking 17(b) Sewing/tailoring 15(c) Domestic training 15(d) General handicrafts 17

The maximum enrolment in each class is 20 and there is one instructor to every class.The centre plans to offer a fifth class in shoe-making when the instructor in shoe-makinghas been recruited. When fully operational, the centre will have 100 senior traineeswith 20 attending each of the 5 vocational training courses.

THE WORLD REHABILITATION FUND DAY CENTRE9. The World Rehabilitation Fund Day Centre was built in 1968 with the aim ofproviding the visually handicapped, deaf, mentally disabled and physically handicappedwith specialized services such as medical assessment, audiological testing, psychologicaltesting, physiotherapy, pre-vocational evaluation, vocational evaluation, vocationalcounselling, work adjustment, casework service, placement service and follow-ups, inaddition to:

(a) pre-vocational training for 140 trainees in the 14-18 age bracket;(b) vocational training for 120 trainees 16 years of age and older; and(c) sheltered work for 80 severely disabled persons.

10. The pre-vocational and vocational training facilities offered by the centre aiegiven below:—

1A §

PU <$

w

3

'43

£

Name of Course

(a) Metal work(b) Wood work ... ..^ ... "(c) Tailoring and sewfng(d) General handicrafts

(a) Printing(b) Mechanics(c) Radio and T.V. repairs(d) Industrial machine sewing(e) Machine knitting

PresentEnrolment

3224111

625

1711

MaximumCapacity

(2 sessions)40404020

2020202020

35

APPENDIX A (Contd.)

A sixth class in clerical work training will soon be started with a maximum of 20 places.The length of training varies between 6 months to 2 years depending on individualability and need.

GENERAL11. Admission to Aberdeen Rehabilitation Centre and World RehabilitationFund Day Centre is open to persons in major fields of disability, while Kai Nang Train-ing Centre is only for the mentally retarded. With the exception of the AberdeenRehabilitation Centre and Hostel Section of Kai Nang Training Centre where board andlodging are provided, free lunches are served for day trainees and fares will be paid tothose who find it difficult to meet the daily travelling expenses by public transport (busservices are also provided for the severely disabled by the World Rehabilitation FundDay Centre). Furthermore, an incentive payment of 50c per day is paid to every in-dividual trainees attending the pre-vocational training classes, and $1.00 to each of thevocational trainees as well as sheltered workers who are on wage-earning basis accordingto their work done. However no incentive payment is paid to sheltered workers ofAberdeen Rehabilitation Centre as they are provided with board and lodging.

July 1969

[HKP] 37142695125 H7 wv

XQ177273b