The EOC is highly concerned about the recent news that a person with hearing impairment was sent to a psychiatric hospital in the absence of sign language interpretation, which caused him communication difficulty and misunderstanding by the Police. On 9 February, the EOC issued a statement, urging the person involved to contact the Commission directly. The EOC also welcomes enquiries from the public on legal protection under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.

While the EOC does not have on hand detailed information of the case, the Commission believes that people with hearing impairments and other forms of disabilities should have equal opportunities to participate in all areas of society, including education, employment and access to services and facilities.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States Parties to take all appropriate measures to promote the full realisation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for people with disabilities (PWDs), and appropriate steps to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided in order to promote equality and eliminate discrimination. Since the Convention was extended to Hong Kong in 2008, the SAR has the legal obligation to ensure that all PWDs, including those with hearing impairments, are not discriminated against when accessing services and facilities. Government departments also have a responsibility to provide appropriate communication methods and assistance, such as sign language interpretation, for people with hearing impairments. The EOC hopes that relevant departments can follow up on the case as soon as possible, and make improvements if necessary, to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Read the EOC’s statement

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been enacted in Hong Kong for 10 years. While the rights of PWDs have improved over the decade, their opportunities to participate in public life, particularly in employment, remain restricted. To shed light on the issue, EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming has been writing a series of articles since the start of the new year. The pieces give an overview of the employment situation of PWDs, explain the protection offered by the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, and highlight the good employment practices by individual companies. The first and second of the series were already published in the South China Morning Post. Stay tuned for the other articles.

Read Prof. Chan’s articles

The EOC’s Community Participation Funding Programme for the year 2017/18 is now open for applications. Launched in 1997, the programme provides funding for projects organised by non-profit-making organisations with the aim of promoting equal opportunities for those protected under the anti-discrimination legislation. This year, we encourage applicants to focus their projects around the EOC’s priority work areas, including the Discrimination Law Review conducted by the EOC. As in previous years, this year’s programme will be run in two phases. The application deadlines for the first and second batches are 17 March and 15 September 2017 respectively. For eligibility, application procedures and other details, please refer to the EOC website.

View the details of the 2017/18 Community Participation Funding Programme

The 2017 spring training programme run by the EOC will begin in mid-March. Offering 10 different courses, the training programme aims to deepen the participants’ understanding on issues related to discrimination and equal opportunities. Some of the courses focus on discrimination in the workplace and are especially useful for employers, managers and human resources practitioners. For the fee-charging courses, the participants will receive a certificate of attendance upon completion. Interested parties can register for separate sessions at least seven working days prior to the sessions. The list of courses and details are available on the EOC website.

View the EOC’s spring training programme

Technology has always played an important role in improving the lives of PWDs. With the popularity of smart phones, it is not surprising that mobile apps designed for PWDs have emerged. Since 2012, the Government has been subsidising non-profit-making organisations to develop mobile apps that cater to the needs of the underprivileged, including PWDs. Five new apps were released in early February 2017, including a food-ordering app for people with visual impairments, and an app that helps train the muscular co-ordination of children with Down Syndrome. So far, 17 apps have been developed through this subsidy scheme. In addition to PWDs, the scheme covers apps that provide greater convenience for ethnic minorities and the elderly.

Separately, the EOC has developed its own mobile app where users can get the Commission’s news, and information related to the anti-discrimination legislation and equal opportunities. The app is accessible to people with various needs.

Download the Government funded apps
Download the EOC app