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The Government will continue to enhance support services for persons with disabilities with a view to developing their potential and facilitating their integration into society, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said this evening (January 10).
Speaking at the Jockey Club Arts for the Disabled Scheme Annual Performance 2008, Mr Cheung said the funding for rehabilitation services in the last financial year amounted to $16.7 billion and this represented 7% of total Government expenditure.
The funding covered services for persons with disabilities provided by the Hospital Authority, Education Bureau, Department of Health, Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, Transport Department and Labour and Welfare Bureau.
"We not only offer services to meet the daily needs of persons with disabilities, but also provide opportunities for them to develop their artistic potential. We are committed to meeting the policy objective of focusing on whole-person development, regardless of disabilities. This approach is also in line with the 2007 Rehabilitation Programme Plan.
"Promoting persons with disabilities to take part in arts and cultural activities is an effective way to help them integrate into society. We will provide a barrier-free environment and seek more performance opportunities to let them share the joy of artistic activities," Mr Cheung said.
The Jockey Club Arts for the Disabled Scheme, which is subsidised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and administered by the Labour and Welfare Bureau, aims to offer basic training to persons with disabilities in the arts and cultural fields. It has offered training programmes to more than 6,000 students in special schools and more than 1,000 persons with disabilities each year since its inception in 2003.
The Annual Performance was organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau in association with the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong. The theme, Nurturing, meant that many persons with disabilities learned to enhance their skills and show their talent after training under the Jockey Club Arts for the Disabled Scheme in the past few years.
Ends/Saturday, January 10, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:15
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