Members of the EOC met on 20 December 2012 at the 99th EOC Meeting and discussed various matters related to the Commission’s business. Members noted that the number of sexual harassment complaints had significantly increased in the first 11 months of 2012 compared with the previous year. A new Working Group under the Policy and Research Committee (PARC) is being set up to tackle the issue. EOC Members were also pleased to note the positive feedback received on the EOC Forum held in September, which promoted transparency and accountability as well as allowed the EOC to obtain views from stakeholders. The EOC will organize similar functions regularly so as to strengthen our communication with the public.

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On 18 December 2012, Members of the Policy and Research Committee (PARC) of the EOC met with the Deputy Secretary for Education, Mrs. Betty Ip, to urge the Education Bureau to re-examine its policies and practices in the pursuit of equal learning opportunities for students with special educational needs. The meeting follows the November 2012 release of the Commission’s Study on Equal Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities under the Integrated Education System, which found that resources, training and support for integrated education remain limited. Dr. John TSE Wing-ling, Convenor of the PARC, said, “In order to do justice to the thousands of students with special needs struggling for survival in mainstream schools, the Government should lead the charge to increase both manpower and resources for the effective implementation of Integrated Education.”

 
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Hong Kong takes pride in being a “world” city, but the irony is that many still face significant barriers in accessing their rights in Hong Kong due to deeply-embedded stereotypes and prejudice. In his speech at the launch ceremony of“Mentoring Ethnic Minority Youth for Community Participation and Integration,” KELY Support Group’s mentorship programme for ethnic minority youths, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, discussed the Commission’s commitment to protecting everyone’s right to equal opportunities, and urged the youths not to give up when faced with obstacles and discrimination: “You may have been told that it is your fault that you do not belong, that you did not try hard enough. But do not lose hope.” Mr. Lam also appealed to the Government to take the lead to tackle the root causes of inequalities in Hong Kong’s social infrastructure, including in the mainstream school system. “Apart from the language barrier, there are also other systemic hurdles such as access to higher education, employment and lack of integration at the community level. Government must therefore do more.”

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The deadline for application to the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme, jointly launched by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the Equal Opportunities Commission in October 2012, has been extended to 18 January 2013. The aim of the Scheme is to provide recognition and show appreciation to businesses and organisations who have made their websites accessible for people with disability. Under the scheme, websites of the participating organisations meeting the accreditation criteria can display the gold or silver award logo as recognition for their achievement in adopting barrier-free design. Participating organisations can enjoy free assessment and advisory services on web accessibility.

Tram users and bus passengers may have recently noticed that Hong Kong’s iconic modes of transport have begun serving an additional purpose of promoting equal opportunities. The EOC’s public transport advertising campaign is running from 4 to 31 December 2012. Over two hundred bus shelter and tram body advertisements have been running in different districts to promote the messages of access for all, racial harmony, family-friendly employment policy, preventing pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment. Through these advertisements, the EOC hopes to remind the public that, together, we can build an inclusive city that treasures diversity.

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The EOC was pleased to be a supporting organisation of the initiative, So-Biz: “Shop Freely, Serve Friendly”, which aims to help small-to-medium-sized businesses in the retail and catering sectors to provide barrier-free services to traditionally underserved groups including people with disability, elderly people, and ethnic minorities. On 7 December 2012, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, officiated at the So Biz’s Three-Star Award Presentation Ceremony during which 91 retail shops received recognition for their outstanding services. To be eligible for the award, the shops had to (a) complete all the service criteria in a check list, (b) attend workshop series “Shop Freely, Service Friendly” and (c) receive nomination by customers or NGOs. In collaboration with this programme, the EOC had provided two workshops on “barrier-free services” in October 2012, with two further training sessions to be organized in January 2013.

More information on the So Biz Project