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SWD to invite applications for IT schemes for persons with disabilities
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     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will invite applications from tomorrow (October 24) until November 30, 2016 from eligible individuals and organisations for The Jockey Club IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment (23rd Round) and the Central Fund for Personal Computers (35th Round).
 
     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 for persons with visual impairment to acquire advanced Chinese screen readers, Braille displays and accessories to facilitate their surfing on the Internet, and to subsidise individual persons with visual impairment in need to purchase these devices for the purpose of studies or employment. Previous beneficiaries of the Scheme may re-apply if they have proven genuine financial difficulty and need the devices for study or employment purposes.
 
     The items supported under the scheme are advanced Chinese screen readers, Braille displays of 40 cells and accessories/portable devices.
 
     Successful organisation applicants will be supported in full for purchasing a set of high-performance Chinese screen reader (capped at $9,800) and/or Braille displays (capped at $36,000) and/or accessories (capped at $66,300) in the reference list provided under the Scheme. Successful individual applicants will be sponsored to purchase a set of high-performance Chinese screen reader with an amount not more than $9,800 and/or accessories/portable devices in the same reference list not more than $49,600 in value, whereas the maximum support level for Braille displays will be at 90 per cent of its price or not more than $32,400, whichever is the less.
         
     Eligible organisations may tender their applications by completing designated forms. For individual applications, nomination from subvented non-governmental rehabilitation organisations, the student affairs offices of local tertiary institutions, principals of local secondary/primary schools, or the Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department (LD) is required, and application should be submitted through the nominating organisation in a designated form together with the quotations for the items concerned. Letters have been sent to the relevant organisations to invite them to tender nominations.
 
     As for the Central Fund for Personal Computers, the Fund 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 LD. On the criteria, applicants must:
 
(a) be users of rehabilitation services of and nominated by rehabilitation service organisations or the Selective Placement Division of 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 LD to provide guidance and follow-up services after applicants’ acquisition of the computer facilities.
 
     For enquiries, people may 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 2893 6983.
 
     Details of the above schemes are available on the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk) and CyberAble.net (www.CyberAble.net). Information notes and application forms can be downloaded from the websites.
 
Ends/Sunday, October 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:00
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