Steve (Mr Steve LO, Chairman, Wheel For Oneness),

Rita (Ms Rita EBEL, Accessibility Environment Advocate and ‘LEGO Grandma’),

Mr Yip (Mr YIP Cham-kai, Chairperson of Hong Kong Rehabilitation Power),

Mr Lai (Mr Edward LAI Tai-yan, Director of the Hong Kong Scout Association of Hong Kong),

Bosco (Mr Bosco LEUNG, Social Responsibility Lead, MTR Corporation)

Distinguished guests and friends,

Good afternoon and thank you to Wheel For Oneness for inviting me to give the opening remarks for the Oneness International Summit. It’s really inspiring to have so many leaders in equality and inclusion gathered together to explore how we can spread empathy and create communities with no barriers. The discussions, performances, and world record challenge this morning have set the tone for the ambition of this summit. I have no doubt that the keynote speeches and panel discussions this afternoon will lead to more innovative ideas and collaborations.

In recent years, technological advancement has gifted us with so many new tools to empower people with disabilities to lead independent lives and have equal participation in the community. The smartphone alone has opened up new avenues for accessibility, with apps that assist with communication, navigation, and daily tasks. Yet, barriers that stand in the way of the full inclusion of people with disabilities remain stubbornly in place. For example, a survey of wheelchair users in Hong Kong found that over 50% of the respondents said they often face difficulties when going out due to a lack of barrier-free facilities. In our own research, many employers also told us that they were concerned about the additional costs involved in providing accommodation if they hire people with disabilities.

These findings tell us that there is still much to be done in making our city more inclusive of people with disabilities. Allocating more resources to improve the accessibility of the environment and educating the public on ways to provide accommodation are, of course, necessary and essential. However, I think there’s something much more fundamental we need to work on at the same time, and the theme of today’s summit really hits the nail on the head – we need to cultivate empathy.

The ability to put oneself in another’s shoes and see the world from their vantage point is the bedrock of inclusion. It encourages people to see beyond differences and drives them to work for the betterment of everyone rather than only those who are like themselves. From everyday encounters to the corridors of power and the boardroom, empathy can act as the catalyst for radical transformations.

We at the Equal Opportunities Commission certainly recognise the transformative power of empathy. Through our youth educational programmes, we have been providing opportunities for the next generation to understand the needs of people with different abilities and encourage them to promote the values of diversity and inclusion in their daily lives. Recently, we’ve also collaborated with a Paralympian for a social campaign to help businesses and service providers understand that when they make meeting the needs of customers with diverse abilities a must and not a nice-to-have, it’s a win-win for everyone. I am sure you will gain more insights on how to embed inclusion in every aspect of our daily lives from the panel discussions later on.

Building a culture around empathy is a long-term endeavour. It’s a task that requires collaboration and contributions from all sectors. The meaningful dialogue and conversations at this summit will definitely empower each of us to spread the power of empathy in our communities and chart new paths towards a more inclusive society.

Thank you once again for having me and I wish the summit a great success.