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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will invite eligible individuals and organisations tomorrow (October 22) to apply for the Jockey Club IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment (15th Round) and the Central Fund for Personal Computers (27th Round). The deadline for submitting applications to both schemes is November 30.
The objectives of the Jockey Club IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment are to support non-governmental and non-profit-making organisations providing services or schooling to people with visual impairment (PVI) and tertiary institutions to acquire advanced Chinese screen readers and Braille displays to facilitate PVI's surfing on the Internet, and to subsidise individual PVI in need to purchase these devices for the purpose of studies or employment.
The items supported under this scheme are advanced Chinese screen readers, such as Chinese JAWS or its compatible systems, and Braille displays of 40 cells, such as Focus 40 or PAC Mate or compatible systems.
Successful organisational applicants will be sponsored for installing a Chinese screen reader (maximum $9,800 per set) and Braille display (maximum $36,000 per set). For successful individual applicants, the subsidy will be no more than $9,800 for a Chinese screen reader, and 75 per cent of the cost or $27,000 (whichever is less) for a Braille display.
Eligible organisations may complete the designated form to tender their applications. Individual applications must be nominated by rehabilitation units of the SWD, subvented non-governmental rehabilitation organisations, the student affairs offices of local tertiary institutions, principals of local secondary or primary schools, or the Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department (LD), and should be submitted with a designated form together with the quotations for the items concerned from the nominating organisation. The SWD has sent letters to the relevant organisations to invite them to tender nominations.
For enquiries, please contact the Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services Branch of the SWD at 2892 5652, through email to srm3@swd.gov.hk or by fax to 2119 9035.
The Central Fund for Personal Computers aims to assist eligible persons with disabilities in acquiring the required computer facilities for self-employment or receiving supported employment services at home, with guidance and follow-up services to be provided by the referring rehabilitation organisations or the Selective Placement Division of the LD. As for the criteria, applicants must:
(a) be users of rehabilitation services of and nominated by rehabilitation service organisations or the Selective Placement Division of the LD;
(b) have difficulties in engaging in open employment;
(c) provide a viable business plan which has to use computer facilities;
(d) have financial difficulty in acquiring the required computer facilities;
(e) be capable of using computers to carry out the business plan; and
(f) have the consent of the nominating organisations or the LD to provide guidance and follow-up services after the applicants' acquisition of the computer facilities.
For enquiries, please contact the Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services Branch of the SWD at 2892 5156, through email to srm5@swd.gov.hk or by fax to 2119 9035.
For details of the above schemes, please visit the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk) or CyberAble.net (www.CyberAble.net). Information Notes and Application Forms can be downloaded from the websites.
Ends/Sunday, October 21, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01
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