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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
More than 30 representatives from 14 rehabilitation and disabilities organisations, including wheelchair-bound users and people with visual and hearing impairment, toured the barrier-free facilities in the Legislative Council (LegCo) Complex today (September 26). They appreciated the LegCo's efforts to install a series of barrier-free facilities to facilitate people with different disabilities to access the Complex and also gave feedbacks on the facilities. The LegCo President and the Chairman of the LegCo Commission (the Commission), Hon Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, said that members of the Commission had unanimously agreed that the design of the LegCo Complex should enable people with different disabilities to use its facilities.
Mr Tsang said that as the society progressed, people would have higher expectations and demands for the provision of barrier-free facilities. He hoped that through this visit people with disabilities (PWDs) could understand more about the purpose of providing different kinds of barrier-free facilities in the LegCo Complex was to meet the different needs of PWDs. He said that LegCo would continue to communicate with the relevant organisations and listen to their views for the refinement of the facilities.
Accompanied by the LegCo Secretariat staff, the PWDs toured the barrier-free facilities in the new LegCo Complex this afternoon, including the toilets for the disabled, tactile path for people with visual impairment, lifts with audible signs for closing of doors and Braille markings for lift control buttons, seating arrangement for people with visual impairment and wheelchair-bound visitors to observe Council meeting at the Public Gallery, and Braille keyboard for people with visual impairment. Besides, they also realised that sign language interpretation service would be provided for visitors with hearing impairment to understand the meetings.
After visiting the barrier-free facilities, the Secretary General of the LegCo Secretariat, Ms Pauline Ng, exchanged views with the representatives from different organisations and listen to their comments on the barrier-free facilities in the Complex. Some representatives of the organisations gave feedbacks to improve the barrier-free facilities but they also appreciated the efforts of the LegCo to provide these facilities to facilitate their access to the Complex. They said that LegCo could set a good example for other organisations to follow.
Ms Ng pointed out that suggestions raised by related organisations had been incorporated into the design of barrier-free facilities in the Complex. Refinements would still be carried out in the future when necessary. She encouraged the people with disabilities to visit the LegCo Complex more frequently to observe open meetings and to use the facilities in the Complex. She also said that she would meet with the Transport Department later to discuss how to provide a more convenient way for wheelchair-bound visitors to reach the Complex.
Chairman of the Commission, Mr Tsang, member of the Commission, Hon Cyd Ho, and Ms Ng toured the barrier-free facilities in the LegCo Complex earlier with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and welfare organisations for people with different disabilities. They applauded the LegCo for its efforts to accommodate the needs of PWDs and commended that the LegCo had acted as a role model in the community.
Ends/Monday, September 26, 2011
Issued at HKT 23:01
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