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EOC and RTHK Co-host “Embracing Social Inclusion Project” to Promote Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

13/10/2019

To foster inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) and deepen public understanding of the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO), the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) jointly hosted a public education event titled “Embracing Social Inclusion” today (13 October 2019). Representatives of rehabilitation groups and other guests performed or shared their experiences on disability inclusion at the event.

The EOC has launched a year-long public education campaign, “Embracing Social Inclusion Project”, with RTHK Radio 1 in December 2018 to promote public understanding of the DDO. Different formats including radio dramas, quizzes, radio segments and interviews with people with disabilities (PWDs) and a public event are used to bring out the messages across three radio programmes on RTHK Radio 1, including “Care for Disabled” (非常人物生活雜誌), “Yes We Can” (我得你都得) and “Happy Daily” (開心日報). The Project was supported by 22 rehabilitation organisations (please refer to the Appendix for the list of supporting organisations), and concluded with its key event today.

Officiating at the event were The Hon Patrick NIP Tak-kuen, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs; Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, EOC Chairperson; Ms CHAN Man-kuen, Deputy Director of Broadcasting (Programmes) of RTHK; Mr Benny CHEUNG Wai-leung, Chairman of The Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities; and Ms Shirley LOO, Convenor of the EOC’s Community Participation and Publicity Committee.

“The DDO has been in place in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. Although the protection of the rights of people with disabilities has been improved, they still face different problems in all aspects of life, especially in employment. Structural and attitudinal barriers often restrict PWDs from obtaining employment on an equal basis,” said Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, Chairperson of the EOC. “Increasing job opportunities for people with disabilities requires a comprehensive approach involving employers to recognise the benefits of disability-inclusive policies and a barrier-free workplace, and to remove misunderstanding and misconceptions.”

In addition to the DDO, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was extended to Hong Kong in 2008. The Convention aims at ensuring that all people with disabilities could fully and equally enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedom, as well as enhancing respect for people with disabilities. However, PWDs continue to face challenges in relation to employment. From 2016 to 2018, the EOC received 1,040 complaints under the DDO, with 619 cases (60%) related to employment.

In view of this, the EOC will launch two new research projects in the coming year, including the “Study on Effective Strategies to Facilitate School-to-Work Transition of Young Persons with Disabilities in Hong Kong” and the “Study on Perceptions of Stigmatisation and Discrimination of Persons with Mental Illness in the Workplace”. The EOC hopes to identify the difficulties and support methods for different types of people with disabilities in employment. Furthermore, the EOC aims to foster employment opportunities and career advancement for PWDs in the labour market among employer associations and corporates, linking them up with non-governmental organisations and rehabilitation groups that provide employment assistance to PWDs.

Apart from employment, PWDs also face challenges in daily life, including the areas of clothing, food, housing and travel. At today’s event, different guests shared their experiences in supporting inclusion of PWDs in the community. This includes demonstration of specialised clothing for PWDs by Dr Frency NG, Director of the Troels H. Povlsen Care Apparel Centre at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; sharing by Mr TANG Kwong-po, Vice Chairman of The Hong Kong Federation of the Blind on his cooking and dining experience; sharing by Ms Rabi YIM, Chairperson of Direction Association for the Handicapped, and Psychiatrist Dr TSANG Fan-kwong on home design for PWDs; and sharing by Mr Gary LEUNG, a runner with visual impairment, on his daily outdoor experience with his guide dog.

RTHK Event Group Photo 1

Photo Caption: Mr Patrick LUI (first from left) and Mr Joey TANG (second from left) of Tai Chi Band; Ms CHAN Man-kuen, Deputy Director of Broadcasting (Programmes) of RTHK (third from left); The Hon Patrick NIP Tak-kuen, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (centre); Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, EOC Chairperson (third from right); Mr Benny CHEUNG Wai-leung, Chairman of The Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities (second from right); and Ms Shirley LOO, Convenor of the EOC’s Community Participation and Publicity Committee (first from right) officiated at the event.

Photo Caption: Group photo with officiating guests and representatives from supporting organizations at the “Embracing Social Inclusion” public education event jointly organized by the EOC and RTHK 1

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Equal Opportunities Commission

13 October 2019

Appendix: List of Supporting Organisations of the “Embracing Social Inclusion Project”

Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service

Chosen Power

Direction Association for the Handicapped

Haven of Hope Christian Service

Heep Hong Society

Hong Chi Association

Hong Kong Association of the Deaf

Hong Kong Blind Union

Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth

Hong Kong PHAB Association

Hong Kong Rehabilitation Power

Lutheran School for the Deaf

New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association

Rehabilitation Alliance Hong Kong

SAHK

SILENCE

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service

The Hong Kong Joint Council of Parents of the Mentally Handicapped

The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation

The Hong Kong Society for the Blind

The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf

The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong