On 15 April 2020, the EOC issued legal proceedings under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO) in the District Court on behalf of a minor (the Claimant), who is represented by his father.

The Claimant is a patient of Tourette syndrome. His symptoms include motor tics, i.e. involuntary movements of the body. The Claimant’s main allegations are that the four Respondents, who were his classmates at the material time, had harassed him on account of his disabilities. The Respondents often mimicked his motor tics and made insulting verbal remarks about them in front of other students.

Under the DDO, harassment refers to any unwelcome conduct on account of a person’s disability where it can be reasonably anticipated that the person would be offended, humiliated or intimidated, such as insulting remarks and offensive jokes about a person’s disability. It is unlawful for a student of an education establishment to harass a person with a disability who is also a student of that establishment.

Students with disabilities often face harassment and bullying at school. By taking this case to court, the EOC hopes to raise public awareness of the DDO’s protections for students with disabilities from disability harassment in education establishments, and to remind the public that disability harassment is unlawful.

Read the press release
Read the Code of Practice on Education under the DDO
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The EOC is now on LinkedIn! Geared to professionals, the social media platform connects employers and employees across a wide spectrum of industries, offering not just a wealth of networking opportunities, but also a great source of insight into issues trending in the business community, such as how diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives may impact the bottom line.

From ideas on how to promote equal opportunities in the workplace to advertisements of its latest job openings, the EOC has been sharing updates on its page to extend its reach to different sectors. Follow us now and stay tuned for more to come!

Follow the EOC on LinkedIn
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From January to March 2020, the EOC collaborated with RTHK Radio 2 on lining up members of ethnic minority communities in Hong Kong to appear on the show “Morning Suite” and talk about their personal interests, careers and experiences of living in the city.

The guests featured included a Pakistani English teacher, a Filipino snooker player, a Thai hair salon owner, and many others. Having aired for eight consecutive weeks, the episodes can be listened to again on the RTHK website.

Access the RTHK archive (Chinese only)
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Coinciding with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, The Women’s Foundation (TWF) yesterday (28 April) announced the launch of its #MakePeopleCount campaign to raise awareness of sexual violence in Hong Kong.

In order to address the issue of bystander apathy, help prevent sexual violence, and – in the event that it takes place – improve the protection and support available to victims, TWF has created a website with resources for victims, including legal and mental health contacts, as well as information for companies and individuals around preventions and interventions available.

The EOC is one of the supporting organisations of the campaign. EOC Chairperson, Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin said, “The EOC supports The Women’s Foundation for launching this important campaign to raise awareness around the prevalence of sexual violence and the challenges preventing victims from seeking support. We are committed to working with a diverse range of stakeholders to tackle this issue and create a safe, violence-free city for everyone.”

Other supporting organisations include End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation, Family Planning Association, Gender Research Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Harmony House, HER Fund, MTR Corporation, On Air Collective, Pathfinders, Rainlily, Resolve Foundation and Zubin Foundation.

Visit the website
Watch the campaign video