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The 2007 Rehabilitation Programme Plan that outlines the future development of rehabilitation services is a strategic blueprint on how the community can join with the Government in building an inclusive society.
Speaking at the second annual general meeting of the Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities today (November 26), the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said that rehabilitation services in Hong Kong have made notable progress in the past few decades.
"Policies and resources aside, enhanced co-operation of various sectors of the community is essential to the sustainability of these services. While parents, friends, neighbours and the community as a whole should lend support to persons with disabilities, the disabled should also try their best to improve themselves and actively take part in community activities, thereby enhancing their capability to serve the community," Mr Cheung said.
The 2007 Rehabilitation Programme Plan makes recommendations along two strategic directions: to actively promote cross-sectoral collaboration in providing diversified services and creating a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities; and to enhance social investment to build the capabilities of the disabled and their families to enable them to contribute to society.
"On cross-sectoral collaboration, the programme encourages community sectors, including non-governmental organisations, the business sector and the Government to work together and actively consider the initiatives in the programme when mapping out their strategic plan for developing services and organising activities. They should also consider the integral needs of rehabilitation services and support equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to facilitate their integration into society.
"As to employment, the Government has been offering a wide range of occupational training and rehabilitation services, including skills training, in-service training and job trials, to enhance the employability of the disabled and help them become self-reliant.
"Apart from urging the business sector to offer equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, we also encourage non-governmental organisations to set up social enterprises to provide jobs for persons with disabilities in order for them to serve the community," he said.
Mr Cheung pointed out that social enterprise is a new business model that combines market forces and social services. On the one hand, it provides persons with disabilities with stable employment. On the other hand, members of the public can show their recognition of and support for the under-privileged by patronising these enterprises. Moreover, business organisations that engage in social enterprises may explore new business opportunities and raise their corporate image.
As the Rehabilitation Programme Plan is to be carried out soon, the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee is now working on an implementation plan to put across the key messages of the programme to target sectors. The committee will monitor closely the implementation of the programme. In this regard, public participation is vital in helping to disseminate the concept of integration to the whole community.
"The rapid changes in Hong Kong bring along opportunities and challenges. It is encouraging to see that public acceptance of persons with disabilities has improved significantly over the past few decades. There are more opportunities for them to participate in community activities, their rights are upheld and a barrier-free environment created. Looking ahead, it is imperative for us to keep up our effort in fostering collaboration in the implementation of the blueprint set out in the new programme," Mr Cheung said.
Ends/Monday, November 26, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:11
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