Our Stories
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2009/2010
Patrons and Council Members
Patron
The Honourable Donald Tsang, GBM
Chief Executive
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Vice-Patrons
Mrs Marjorie Bray
Dr Bessie Chiang
Mrs Helen Kwok
Professor Dennis S.C. Lam
Mr Clive Oxley, OBE ED
Professor C.K. Poon, GBS, JP
Council Members 2009/2010
Chairman
Mrs Rachel Cartland (until 6 Dec 2009)
Miss Nancy Law Tak Yin (since 7 Dec 2009)
Vice-Chairman
Mr Michael Szeto Chak Wah
Hon Treasurer
Mr Michael Choi Man Chau (until 30 Jun 2009)
Mr Patrick Ng Wing Hang (since 1 Jul 2009)
Hon Legal Adviser
Mr Peter Chan Kin Sang
Hon Medical Adviser
Dr Hui Siu Ping
Members
Mr Leo Barretto
Mr Chong Chan Yau
Dr Ho Chi Kin
Ms Susan Ho Suet Fun
Ms Winnie Kong Lai Wan
Dr Vincent Kwan Pun Fong (since 7 Dec 2009)
Ms Ida Lam Choi Chu
Mr Lam Wai Pong
Co-opted Members
Mr Lawrence Lai Man Leung
Mr Lam Chung Yun
Ex-officio Member
Ms Maureen Tam Ching Yi
Committees
Finance & Administration Committee
Chairman
Mr Michael Choi (until 30 Jun 2009)
Mr Patrick Ng (since 1 Jul 2009)
Members
Dr Vincent Kwan
Mr Lam Chung Yun
Mr Roger Ling
Ex-officio Members
Mrs Rachel Cartland (until 6 Dec 2009)
Miss Nancy Law Tak Yin (since 7 Dec 2009)
Ms Maureen Tam
Rehabilitation Committee
Chairman
Ms Ida Lam Choi Chu
Members
Mr Jason Ho
Ms Virginia Pak
Mr Tsang Kin Ping
Ms Kitty Chung
Ex-officio Members
Mrs Rachel Cartland (until 6 Dec 2009)
Miss Nancy Law Tak Yin (since 7 Dec 2009)
Ms Maureen Tam
Research & Development Committee
Chairman
Dr Hui Siu Ping
Members
Dr Martha Hui
Mr Joseph Kwan
Mr Yan Wa Tat
Mr Joseph Cho
Ex-officio Members
Mrs Rachel Cartland (until 6 Dec 2009)
Miss Nancy Law Tak Yin (since 7 Dec 2009)
Ms Maureen Tam
Residential Services Committee
Chairman
Mr Lam Wai Pong
Members
Ms Shirley Cheung Yuet Mei
Dr Ho Chi Kin
Ms Susan Ho Suet Fun
Ms Amy Tso
Ms Doreen Mui
Ex-officio Members
Mrs Rachel Cartland (until 6 Dec 2009)
Miss Nancy Law Tak Yin (since 7 Dec 2009)
Ms Maureen Tam
Factory Management Committee
Chairman
Mr Michael Szeto
Members
Mr Colin Bosher
Ms Winnie Kong
Mr Lawrence Lai
Mr Roger Ling
Ms Phoenix Cheung
Ex-officio Members
Mrs Rachel Cartland (until 6 Dec 2009)
Miss Nancy Law Tak Yin (since 7 Dec 2009)
Ms Maureen Tam
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Chairman’s Foreword
Having left the Council for over three years, I am most happy and honoured to be able to re-join the Council and work with you all to provide services for the betterment of the visually impaired.
Facilitation of the visually impaired in seeking employment has continued to be one of the most important priorities in the work of the Society. During 2009/10, we launched two milestone projects to promote employment opportunities for the visually impaired in Hong Kong.
In July 2009, the first employment portal for visually impaired job seekers, Cando.hk, was inaugurated. This new website provides a platform for the visually impaired job seekers to introduce themselves to potential employers by placing their brief CV there. It also allows employers to obtain information on the experience of other employers in hiring visually impaired employees. After its inception, quite a number of visually impaired job seekers have made use of the website to find out job vacancies available in the open market. They have all been more active in preparing their own CV and attending mock interviews arranged by our staff.
The second project, Job Trial Collaboration Scheme, was introduced also in July 2009 in joint efforts with welfare NGOs and private companies. Under the Scheme, visually impaired job seekers who have difficulty in finding jobs in the open market are referred to NGOs and private commercial companies for job trials. This arrangement allows visually impaired participants to build up good work habits and gain experience in specific jobs. Up to March 2010, seven visually impaired job seekers were offered job trials in both welfare and private sectors.
In terms of vocational training, the Empower Shop established in June 2008 provides visually impaired job seekers training for six months in a real work environment in retail service as salesmen and assistant shopkeepers.
During the year 2009/10, 13 trainees underwent training in the shop. In November 2009, the CanCook Kitchen commenced operation providing those visually impaired who are interested in catering service training for six months. Under the guidance and supervision of an experienced Chef, five visually impaired trainees were given training on delivery of meals to customers of the Kitchen.
In order to enrich the social life of our service users, we have been making special efforts to widen the exposure of the visually impaired so that they can more actively participate in social life. Following the launching of the Audio Movie Description Project on 2 June 2009, thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, in particular, Ms Jacqueline Pang, TV and radio hostess, and Mr Herman Cheng, RTHK Disc Jockey, our visually impaired members have been able to enjoy popular old and new Chinese and Western movies with audio description on a regular basis. Besides, since early 2010, staff members have been making efforts to persuade movie producers to make audio description sound track a regular feature in all new movie production, including movie DVDs, so that visually impaired persons would be able to enjoy movies in cinemas and at home.
Thanks must be given to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for their generous donation of HK$166.3 million for the redevelopment of the Yuen Long Home. The Project comprises two parts. Firstly, the ground and 4th floors of the Jockey Club Tuen Mun Home for the Aged Blind will be converted into dormitories to provide temporary accommodation for 80 aged blind residents from the Yuen Long Home. This will be completed around February 2011. After transfer of the Yuen Long Home residents to the Tuen Mun Home, the Yuen Long Home building will be demolished for the construction of a new home. It will be completed by 2013 to provide service for the original 80 aged blind residents. In addition, there will be 40 self-financed beds for needy aged blind and a Day Activity Centre cum Hostel providing day training and residential care for 40 multiply handicapped persons with visual impairment.
This year, we had to make preparations to meet the challenges arising from the enactment of Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) Ordinance. Our Factory for the Blind, which is hiring around 90 disabled workers, is covered by the provisions of the Ordinance. It is anticipated that the Factory will encounter great financial difficulty once the Statutory Minimum Wage is effective. We are discussing with the Government to see what assistance can be provided to make the Factory viable to continue to provide employment for the disabled workers.
In the year to come, we need to give priority attention to the challenges arising from the introduction of Statutory Minimum Wage. We shall continue to focus on promotion of employment opportunities and provision of vocational training for the visually impaired so as to improve their livelihood. The needs of the visually impaired in social life will also be our major area of work. The redevelopment of the Yuen Long Home and related works will be closely monitored to ensure satisfactory completion of the project.
Finally, I thank members of the Council and its sub-committees for their contributions to the work of the Society during the year, volunteers for their support and the Chief Executive and staff members for their hard work. A particular word of thanks should go to the Hong Kong Government, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Community Chest and all the donors for their financial support, without which our work could not have been carried out.
Nancy Law
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Chief Executive’s Report
To strive for sustainable development, staff training and knowledge management are crucial to the survival and continual growth of an organization. In year 2009/10, apart from embarking on various new service projects to meet the changing needs of our service users, we have made effort to build up a more systematic staff training and knowledge sharing programmes within the agency.
Staff Training & Development
To meet with the organizational objectives of service performance improvement, building up competitive advantage, innovation and the sharing of lessons learned, the concept of Knowledge Management (KM) was formally introduced into the Society as from 2009. We aimed to help staff members to develop organizational insights, to reduce redundant work, to reduce training time for new employees, and to meet with changing needs of our service users. To start off, a Training Advisory Committee comprising senior staff members who are experienced in staff training with creative thinking, was set up in 2009 to work out KM implementation strategies for the Society. Meanwhile, a number of staff training workshops on Knowledge Management were organized for both senior staff members and the middle-management.
Thanks to the support of One-off Subsidy from the government, during the year under review, a total of 6 Staff Induction Sessions, 9 training sessions on application of computer programmes, 2 workshops on knowledge management, one report - back session on overseas conference attendance, one workshop on experiential training had been conducted with a total attendance of 526 by headcounts. There were also numerous training and seminars taken by different levels of staff members outside the agency, that organized by professional bodies, academic institutes and NGOs during and outside office hours.
Knowledge Sharing Award Scheme
To go for sustainable development and to tackle the loss of useful work knowledge due to staff turnover, it is vital to encourage experienced staff members to participate in knowledge sharing. Over the past 54 years in Hong Kong, we have developed a range of professional rehabilitation services for the visually impaired including low vision service, orientation & mobility and independent living skills training for the newly blind, vocational training and employment guidance, Braille and talking books production, barrier free access for the visually impaired, rehabilitation for the Multiply Disabled Persons with Visual Impairment (MDVI), and intensive residential care for the aged blind and etc. Staff members who have been engaged in the services for a number of years have already built up a reservoir of valuable experience and knowledge specifically meeting the diversified needs of the visually impaired in Hong Kong. It is a waste if the experience and knowledge is lost upon staff retirement or turn over. Aiming at promoting staff development and building up of professional knowledge in the services for visually impaired, a Knowledge Sharing Reward Scheme was started in November 2009. Each staff member is given a Knowledge Sharing Stamp Card to collect stamps by attending in-house training, local or overseas seminars and external courses, or to make presentations as speakers in seminars, internal sharing sessions and report-back sessions for overseas seminars and conferences. As the senior management sees it, the Knowledge Sharing Campaign will be beneficial to the whole of the organization to act against any loss of experience and professional knowledge upon staff turnover and retirement, in addition to a good preparation for succession of team leaders and senior staff. The Campaign will be a continuous programme.
To cultivate better awareness and motivation for knowledge sharing and staff development, a Training and Development Section has been added to the Annual Staff Appraisal as from January 2010. Staff members are encouraged to write down their individual training and development needs after reviewing past year’s performance and set targets for themselves. They will be assessed by their supervisors about the achievements made after a year in the next appraisal. As this is new to all, it is anticipated that it will take some time for all staff members to get accustomed to this new requirement in their annual staff appraisal.
Launching of Agency Intranet
As part of the infrastructure for knowledge sharing and to improve communication of staff members among all ranks, Departments and Divisions, the agency intranet commenced its operation on 12 April 2010. This is another big achievement for improvement of internal communication after revamping of the agency’s website in April 2009 that was done for enhancing service publicity and brandbuilding of HKSB.
We are indebted to the government for giving us an additional grant in the third quarter of 2009 for procurement of new computers to meet with service needs and replacement of obsolete models to improve work efficiency. The installation of new computers are conducive to the access of agency intranet at various work stations and common areas for all frontline staff and management staff for improvement of communication and knowledge sharing. Apart from posting up agency and departments’ announcements, there are sharing of operational manuals, resources, articles and seminar/conference papers, and also online booking of headquarters’ facilities. There is also a Forum module that allows different professional groups and frontline staff members to exchange views about daily work and practices.
All in all, substantial achievements have been made among individual services to meet the various needs of our service users. Besides, with additional funding and resources, we are able to put more emphasis on staff training and development, improve internal sharing and communication and to focus more on good corporate governance to create a competitive edge for the Hong Kong Society
for the Blind. All the achievements made in the past year were not effort of just one single person. Before closing, I would like to thank most sincerely our Chairman, all Council and Committee members for their leadership and guidance. Thanks are also due to our long term supporters including individuals and business corporations, the many donors and philanthropists for their unfailing support to our services for the visually impaired. In addition, all our hard-working staff members deserve the credit for the successful achievements we have made and we treasure a good communication with our service users who act as our driving force to do better for the general well-being of the clients we serve. In the years to come, we shall join hands with every sector of the community to continue our mission to create a better society for the visually impaired.
Maureen Tam
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Highlights of Events
Launching Ceremony of the Audio Descriptive Movie Pioneer Programme for the Visually Impaired
2 June 2009
Ms. Pang Ching, a famous TV and radio programme hostess, acted as the local “Movie Audio Description Pioneer ”, led a team of volunteers to provide movie narration for the visually impaired. They endeavoured to break the visual barrier that prevented the visually impaired from enjoying movies through providing movie audio description.
Press Conference on Cando.hk Employment Portal for the Visually Impaired
3July 2009
“Achieving a Bright Future”
Potential employers and visually impaired job seekers are able to do job matching throughwww.cando.hk, thus increasing job opportunities of the visually impaired job
seekers in the open market.
Vision 2020: The Right to Sight World Sight Day 2009 –
Hong Kong “Glaucoma No Way” Public Education and Free Glaucoma Screening Programme
8Oct 2009 Press Conference
10-11Oct 2009 East Point City
To enhance public understanding ofGlaucoma, the Event was held at the East Point City, Tseung Kwan O in October 2009. Talks on latest Glaucoma treatment and sharing by Glaucoma patients were delivered in the two-day event. A total of 360 citizens were given free Glaucoma screening
on-site.
We were honoured to have the Honourable Leung Chun-ying, GBS, JP, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council and “Sight Restoration Ambassador” Mr Chilam Cheung being the Chief Officiating Guests of the Press Conference on 8 October. Professor Gabriel
M Leung, JP, Under Secretary for Food and Health Bureau and Mr Tam Lanny, Stanley, Vice-chairman, Social Services & Healthy and Safe City Committee of the Sai Kung District Council, attended as Chief Officiating Guests of the Kick-off Ceremony on 10 October.
“I Can Cook” CanCook Kitchen Opening cum Visually Impaired Persons Cooking Competition
15Oct 2009
The first-ever “CanCook Kitchen” that provides a real-work environment for the training of the visually impaired, was launched on the “White Cane Day” of 2009. On this special occasion, a cooking competition was also organized for the visually impaired participants to share the fun of cooking through preparation of delicious and attractive dishes.
We felt honoured and grateful to have Ms. Annie Liu as our MC, Master Peter So and Siufay as our Special Guests and judges of the Cooking Competition.
2009 Best Practice Award in Social Welfare
4 Nov 2009
We extended heartiest congratulations to the Dementia Care Team for outbeating 92 quality projects submitted by 35 social welfare agencies with its project “Innovative Sensory Therapeutic Programme for Dementia with Visual Impairment” to become one of the ten winners to receive the “2009 Best Practice Award in Social Welfare” from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. Established in 2002, the Dementia Care Service Team has been providing and developing various
dementia treatment programmes for the benefit of our aged blind residents.
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Rehabilitation Services
Rehabilitation Centre (RC)
Enrolment for the Centre this year recorded 192 cases. There were a total of 136 referrals. Over the year, 69 visually impaired service users completed the various independent living skills training programmes offered at the Centre and 77 completed route orientation programme.
Carnival cum Charity Sale Programme
The Rehabilitation Centre organized a twoday Carnival cum Charity Sale Programme on 24 & 25 April, 2009 which was well received by members.
13th Massage Training Course
The Foundation Course on Acupressure & Massage for the Visually Impaired recognized at Diploma Level under Level Three of the Qualifications Framework by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) was started on 1 March 2010. It had been the 13th Massage Training Course for the visually impaired organized in Hong Kong
since 1989. A total of eight trainees enrolled for the course including two females and six males. After completion of training in eight months’ time, a new batch of qualified masseurs will enter the market to serve the public.
“Can’t See, Can Tee” Blind Golf Awareness Day 2009
The “Can’t See, Can Tee” Blind Golf Awareness Day 2009 was organized jointly with the Lions Club of Happy Valley and Legendary Golf Academy on 25 July 2009 at the Tuen Mun Recreation and Sports Centre. Over 120 visually impaired participants aged 5 to 91 attended. Joining the event were corporate volunteers, golf coaches and individual volunteers who gave assistance to the visually impaired golfers to enjoy the fun of playing golf, while demonstrating the spirit of “Sports for All” at the same time.
CanCook Kitchen cum the First Visually Impaired Cooking Competition
To echo the International White Cane Day, the launching of CanCook Kitchen cum the First Visually Impaired Cooking Competition was held on 15 October, 2009. The CanCook Kitchen started to provide catering service to trainees of the Rehabilitation Centre and staff members as from 9 November 2009. The first batch of three visually impaired trainees was recruited and began the six months’ training in catering service as of 1 November 2009. Feedbacks from the service users and customers of the CanCook Kitchen had been positive and encouraging.
13th International Mobility Conference
The staff team of the Orientation & Mobility Training Unit presented three papers at the 13th International Mobility Conference held in Marburg, Germany from 14 to 17 July 2009. A total of five staff members were sent to the Conference for exchange with foreign experts on the latest development of orientation and training for the visually impaired, the related assistive device for independent travelling and barrier-free access facilities.
Appeal of the Alliance of Half-fare in Public Transport for People with Disabilities
In response to the passive attitude of public transport corporations in their consideration for giving special concession to foster community travel and social integration of people with disabilities, several trainees of the Rehabilitation Centre took an active part in the joint protest held by the Alliance during the year of 2009. Participants found it a good experience in community participation and advocacy for rights of the people with disabilities.
Deafblind Training Programme
Thanks to the support of the Community Chest, we were able to design specific training programmes for the benefit of our deafblind members. In 2009/10 the number of trainees maintained at 15 while the community deafblind trainees had increased from 6 in 2008/09 to 7 in
2009/10. Rehabilitation training such as tactile sign language and communication skills, orientation and mobility training, counselling and referrals for community resources were also provided to meet the special needs of the deafblind.
Since 2008, a “Heart to Heart Scheme” has been implemented. Apart from providing individualized tactile sign language training to the deafblind living in the community, activities such as: visits, social gatherings, study groups were organized for the deafblind. To go a step further, such activities were also extended to the carers and volunteers in 2009/10. In October 2009, members visited the various Tuen Mun rehabilitation service organizations during their Open Days to get to know the rehabilitation and residential services available in the Tuen Mun District.
Professional Training
In April 2009, an intermediate course on “Communication with the Deafblind” was organized. At the same time, training had also been extended to people in the field. In January 2010, a staff training programme on communication skills and tactile sign language was conducted for 52 professional staff working in residential homes for the elderly. Father Cyril Axelrod, Consultant
of our deafblind service, conducted two internal staff workshops during his stay in Hong Kong in December 2009 and January 2010 respectively, to strengthen the communication skills between the staff and our deafblind clients.
Service Promotion (Local & Overseas)
In December 2009, Father Cyril Axelrod had a meeting with Mr. Stephen Sui, Commissioner for Rehabilitation of the Labour and Welfare Bureau, during which Mr Sui expressed his concern over the needs and difficulties facing the deafblind in Hong Kong. Besides, we valued the opportunity to exchange ideas with people working in the same area to promote local deafblind services.
At the 10th Asia Pacific Congress on Deafness held in Bangkok in August 2009, the Director of the Residential Services Division and the social worker presented a paper on the development of Chinese Tactile Sign Language in Hong Kong. On 8 September 2009, a 32-person delegation from “SMILE”, a deafblind service organization in Osaka, visited the Deafblind Centre to share and exchange ideas on the provision of deafblind services.
Statistical Supplement 09/10
Rehabilitation Centre
Graduates
| Graduated from All Subjects | 69 |
| Graduated from Route Orientation | 77 |
Sex Distribution
| Male | 91 |
| Female | 101 |
Age Distribution
| 16-29 | 27 |
| 30-39 | 20 |
| 40-49 | 38 |
| 50-59 | 51 |
| 60-69 | 20 |
| 70 or above | 36 |
Factors Leading to Blindness
| Diabetic Retinopathy | 14 |
| Retinitis Pigmentosa | 31 |
| Retinal Detachment / Retinal Degeneration |
16 |
| Glaucoma | 35 |
| Cataract | 10 |
| Macular Disease (Macular Degeneration) | 32 |
| Retina Disease (Retinal Detachment / Retinal Degeneration) | 8 |
| Optic Atrophy | 5 |
| Cerebral Hemorrhage | 1 |
| Brain Tumor | 6 |
| Accident | 7 |
| Born Blind / Congenitally | 21 |
| Others | 6 |
Number of trainees in Various Subjects
Orientation & Mobility Skills
| Orientation & Mobility Training | 93 |
| Route Orientation | 77 |
| Physcical Exercise | 88 |
Home Management Skills
| Cookery | 76 |
| Techniques of Daily Living | 78 |
Communication Skills
| Reading / Writing in Braille | 62 |
| Putonghua | 28 |
| Handwriting | 45 |
| Computer Training | 55 |
Educational Activities
| Music Class | 26 |
| Community Life Education | 90 |
| Social & Educational Programmes | 71 |
| Monthly Outings (average attendannces) | 88 |
Counselling and Group Sessions
| Individual Counselling | 249 |
| Self-help Group Meetings | 21 |
| Group Meetings | 320 |
Deafblind Rehabilitation Programme
| Number of Trainees as at 1 Apr 2009 | 16 |
| Number of Discharge during the year | 11 |
| Number of Trainees as at 31 Mar 2010 | 11 |
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Employment Services
Career Support and Development Centre (CSDC)
Empower Shop
The launch of the Empower Shop in 2008 has provided a training platform for the visually impaired job-seekers to learn and practise their sale and communication skills in order to prepare them for open employment. Up to March 2010, 18 visually impaired trainees had participated in the training.
Cando.hk Employment Portal
“Achieving A Bright Future” – The Cando.hk Employment Portal for the Visually Impaired Launching Ceremony cum Press Conference was successfully held on 3 July 2009 with wide media coverage on local newspapers and electronic media.
With an aim to foster and expand an effective network between enlightening employers and potential employees with visual impairment, the new website “cando.hk”, containing information/introduction sections on: About Us, I Can, Successful Cases, Employers’ Sharing, Tips for Employers, Job Seekers’ Guide, Job Vacancies and Contact Us, was launched in July 2009. During the year 2009/10, an average of 17 job vacancies were posted monthly for visually impaired persons to consider. The monthly browsing frequencies were 1,611 on average.
Collaboration Scheme on Job Trial Placement for Visually Impaired Job Seekers
The Collaboration Scheme on Job Trial Placement for Visually Impaired Job Seekers was implemented in 2009. The Scheme aims to place visually impaired job seekers for job trials in NGOs, private companies and corporations, where they would have a real work environment for job practice for a period of three months. Up to March 2010, 7 visually impaired persons were matched to 5 posts in NGOs and private companies. The type of jobs included: Telephone Operator, Service Assistant, Waitress, Clerk and Occupational Therapist Assistant.
Training Courses and Programmes
During the year under review, CSDC organized a series of pre-job training courses such as the Job Club, Job Skills Enhancement Courses and sharing sessions. Altogether 19 courses and programmes were held with a total of 148 trainees attended.
Factory for the Blind
Sales
The sales of the Factory in 2009/10 were $15,193,244 ($15.19M), representing an increase of $824,291 (5.74%) over the same period of 2008/09.
Annual sales of individual production sections, including the Sewing Section, Paper Box Section and Customer Service Centre had increased by 23.05%, 3.68% and 16.22% respectively, whereas the sales of the Assembling- and Filing Tags Sections had declined by 2.85% and 7.54% respectively when compared to 2008/09.
Upgrading of Electrical Facilities of the Sewing Section
The Factory was grateful to the Sir Robert Ho Tung Charitable Fund for making a grant of $308,000 available to the Factory in August 2009 for upgrading the electrical facilities of its Sewing Section. The improvement project was completed in early February 2010.
Factory’s Annual Outing 2009
Sponsored by the Lee Hysan Foundation, the Factory’s annual outing was held on 16 October 2009. A total of 220 service users were arranged to visit the Kam Tin Country Club in the morning and the Noah’s Ark in Ma Wan after the seafood lunch in Tsuen Wan.
Interest Classes for Service Users
Supported by One-off Subsidy 2009/10 of the Social Welfare Department, the Factory was able to organize three interest classes, namely “Fitness Dance Workshop”, “Creative Clay Making Workshop” and “Bracelet Making DIY Workshop” for improvement of the physical and emotional health of its service users, as well as to enhance their sense of belonging to the Factory. In view of the popularity, these workshops would be continued in the following year.
Future Development
In order to promote job opportunities for our visually impaired workers, the Factory would focus on expanding the services of its Customer Service Centre through securing more orders for cold-call service and marketing projects such as: piano-tuning, one-stop flag bag repair, secretarial service and appointment-making for insurance and commercial companies.
Health Massage and Treatment Centre (HMTC)
Business Performance
The business of the two Centres, S. K. Yee Health Massage & Treatment Centre and Bernard van Zuiden Health Massage & Treatment Centre, were progressing well with surplus revenue recorded for the year. To thank the support of our loyal customers, promotional sales of massage coupons were conducted in April, October 2009 and January 2010 respectively. Several new facial treatments and skincare products such as: Special Life Silk Radiance Treatment and Super Bio Sap Gold Radiance Perfect Treatment were introduced with overwhelming responses.
Advance Equipment for Beauty Centre
To enhance our market competitiveness, a Fat Burning and Slimming Machine was purchased for providing body slimming treatments at the Beauty Massage Section.
“Ba Duan Jin” Interest Class
In addition to the Head, Shoulder and Neck Massage Interest Classes held regularly, two classes of “Ba-Duan-Jin”, the most common forms of Chinese qigong used as exercise, were organized and taught by an experienced blind masseur of HTMC in 2009. Apart from its health benefit, it gave the sighted participants a better understanding about the abilities of people with visual impairment.
Renovation and Improvement Works
During the period under review, renovation and improvement works were carried out to upgrade the services of the two HMTCs. To enrich the service of the Tuen Mun Bernard van Zuiden Health Massage and Treatment Centre, the former General & Low Vision Clinic was renovated into a Beauty Section attached to the Tuen Mun Health Massage and Treatment Centre.
Extension of Beauty Service to the Bernard van Zuiden Health Massage & Treatment Centre
On 29 January 2010, an opening ceremony was held for the Beauty Section set up inside the Bernard van Zuiden Health Massage & Treatment Centre. A visually impaired beauty therapist was recruited to start beauty massage service in the Centre. If business proves to be promising, more job
opportunities will be created for the visually impaired female beauticians.
Statistical Supplement 09/10
Career Support and Development Centre
Employment Service Unit
| Number of job seekers registered | 215 |
| Number of job seekers already gainfully employed | 29 |
| Number of new job seekers | 30 |
| Number of job seekers receiving consultance / counselling service | 1,268 |
| Number of job vacancy referrals | 425 |
| Number of escorted job interviews | 82 |
Supported Employment Service
| Accumulated number of registrants | 13 |
| Number of placements | 8 |
Aids and Appliances Service
| Number of opening sessions | 584 |
| Number of user attendances | 2,987 |
| Number of sales | 2,244 |
Adaptive Equipment Load Service
| Number of loan-out aids/appliances | 63 |
"Job Club" Pre-work Training Programme
| Number of participants | 58 |
| Number of groups | 8 |
| Number of group meetings | 80 |
| Number of training-related activities | 6 |
| Number of attendances | 47 |
Computer Zone and Self-study Rooms
| Number of facility users | 2,835 |
Factory for the Blind
Sales Performance (HK$)
| Sewing | 2,024,026.34 |
| Paper Boxes | 10,147,436.08 |
| Filing Tag | 1,061,228.50 |
| Customers Service Centre | 1,354,133.50 |
| Assembling (Sheltered Workshop) | 606,149.56 |
| Total | 15,193,243.98 |
Strength of Factory Workers / Sheltered Workshop Trainees as at 31 March 2010
Factory Workers
| Visually Impaired | 20 |
| Hearing Impaired | 3 |
| Mentally Handicapped | 60 |
| Ex-mentally III | 5 |
| Sub-total | 88 |
Sheltered Workshop Workers
| Visually Impaired | 13 |
| Hearing Impaired | 41 |
| Mentally Handicapped | 69 |
| Ex-mentally III | 1 |
| Sub-total | 124 |
Health Massage and Treatment Centre
Centre Attendances
| Total No. of Customers | 9,471 |
| Total No. of Service Hours | 29,875 |
Mobile Massage Team
| Total No. of Customers | 2,727 |
| Total No. of Service Hours | 3,039 |
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Eye Care and Low Vision Services
General Eye & Low Vision Centre (GELVC)
Teachers Training on Learning Needs of Cortical Visual Impairment Children
In joint effort with the Ebenezer School, a “Teachers Training Course on Supporting Learning Needs of Students with Cortical Visual Impairment” was organized twice in May 2009 and February 2010 respectively to equip 53 special teachers and therapists referred by the Education Bureau with knowledge and skills to teach and train students with Cortical Visual Impairment. The training was well received by the participants and the Education Bureau was satisfied with the training outcomes.
Public Education Programmes
In collaboration with the Hong Kong Association of Private Eye Surgeons, the Centre organized the Vision 2020: The Right to Sight World Sight Day 2009 – “Glaucoma No Way” public education and free Glaucoma screening programme on 10 and 11 October 2009. Thousands of visitors toured the exhibition and participated in the educational game. Before the event, 20 volunteers were given
special training for glaucoma screening for the public. More than 300 participants aged 40 and above had their eyes checked at the vision screening booths set up in the East Point City. The event was widely covered by 9 newspapers and 2 radio programmes to stress the importance of early detection as a preventive measure for glaucoma.
The Centre also supported the “Protect the Eyesight of Children for their Better Tomorrow -
Marathon Music Concert” organized by the Parents Resource Centre for Visually Impaired Children held at the Metro Plaza on 6 and 7 March 2010, through organizing a public education exhibition on eye care for young children and providing free vision screening to 398 children and teenagers aged 4 to 16.
Eye Subsidy for Needy Patients
With the financial support of the Chan Dang Social Services Foundation and the S.K. Yee Medical Foundation, free eye examinations, low vision devices and subsidized surgeries were provided to low vision and cataract patients facing financial hardship. The generosity of these two charity foundations had enabled more than 200 patients to improve their vision.
Initiated by the former Chief Secretary of HKSAR, Mrs Anson Chan, and under her benevolent support, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and the General Eye & Low Vision Centre organized the “Operation Light” Project to subsidize the underprivileged elderly in the community to undergo cataract surgery from July to November 2009. Fiftyeight patients had benefitted from this project and were happy with their improved vision and quality of life.
Vision 2020 - Low Vision Resource Centre (LVRC)
Supply of Quality Low Vision Aids to the Developing Countries
The Vision 2020 - Low Vision Resource Centre (LVRC) has helped tens of thousands of persons with visual impairment in the developing countries to enhance their eyesight and improve their quality of living, through supply of high quality and affordable vision assessment equipment and low vision devices. The supportive services provided by LVRC has reached over 90 developing countries in the world and encompassed not only the supply of necessary equipment but training to improve the clinical low vision service and the management of resource distribution. One such training was the Vision Classification Workshop conducted in Sri Lanka in 2009 for 20 eye specialists coming from 11 countries.
Engagement in Research and Development Activities
LVRC regularly reviews the types of low vision devices and assessment equipment it needs to develop through consultation with the Low Vision Programme Committee of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. New vision assessment equipment and low vision devices such as the LVRC CCTV Reading Camera and the Berkeley Rudimentary Vision Test were introduced in 2009/10 for the enhancement of its low vision service. The Centre also supported members of the Low Vision Programme Committee in the preparation of low vision personnel training curricula which was targeted to be released in 2011.
Educational Aids for Visually Impaired Students
In support of the “Education for All” Campaign launched by the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), the Centre also assists the Council to source and supply quality but low cost educational materials and adaptive devices, such as braille slates and styluses, to meet the learning and other daily living needs of the visually impaired students in developing countries to promote education for all.
Statistical Supplement 09/10
General Eye and Low Vision Centre
Total No. of Attendance
| General Eye | 43,024 |
| Low Vision | 2.246 |
Vision 2020 Low Vision Resource Centre
| No. of low vision devices dispensed to deveoping countries | 26,353 pcs |
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Residential Services
Professional Services for the Aged Blind
Dementia Care Service
With an ageing population in Hong Kong, the prevalence rate of dementia increased exponentially with age. Established in 2002, the Dementia Care Service Team organized and developed different kinds of therapeutic activities for the dementia aged blind at our four aged blind homes. During the period under review, the Dementia Care Team continued to organize reminiscent therapy, remedial activity, sensory stimulation, music therapy, brain gym, aromatherapy and 24-hour orientation activities for the dementia clients according to their needs. Oral motor training and swallowing assessment were also carried out by the Team for needy dementia clients to enhance their quality of life.
With a generous donation of $97,000 from the S.K. Yee Medical Foundation, an Experia Vitalstim® Therapy Clinical Device was purchased to carry out the “Swallowing Assessment and Training Programme for Aged Blind”. Through using this modern device, the occupational therapist of the Dementia Care Team was able to train the dementia aged blind clients at Kowloon Home for the Aged Blind and Yuen Long Home for the Aged Blind to improve their swallowing ability.
In recognition of the efforts and contributions made by the Dementia Care Team to the welfare sector, the project “Innovative Sensory Therapeutic Programme for Dementia with Visual Impairment” carried out by our Dementia Care Team was elected as one of the ten winners of “2009 Best Practice Award in Social Welfare”.
Physiotherapy Service
Occupational Safety & Health
A before-work stretching exercise session was introduced to frontline staff of all Homesfor the Aged Blind with the aim to improve their muscle flexibility thus reducing work injury. The exercise session was conducted daily and received positive feedbacks from staff members after a few months’ training.
To further improve the service quality and to encourage staff in self-development, a manual-handling workshop on proper care of clients suffering from the after-effects of a stroke or hip replacement surgery was organized for frontline staff of Homes for the Aged Blind. With better caring techniques, the clients could be transferred in a safe and comfortable manner while the staff members would have less work injury and improved work efficiency.
Research Collaboration
In collaboration with the Department of Rehabilitation Science of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Residential Services Division conducted a research on the benefit of Tai Chi on body balance of visually impaired elderly in March 2009. The research was completed in January 2010 and the data were being analyzed for preparation of a research report to be released later in the year.
Professional Exchange
To facilitate exchange of ideas among professionals serving the elderly, our professional teams attended the 17th Annual Congress of Gerontology in November 2009 and presented the survey result on “Fall Incidences of Residents at Four Care & Attention Homes for the Aged Blind”. Views
and ideas on different aspects of elderly rehabilitation were also exchanged with the participants at the Congress.
We were grateful to the S.K. Yee Medical Foundation for its generous donation of $304,000 to establish an “Integrative therapy service for aged blind” within the Kowloon Home for the Aged Blind last year. The occupational therapist of the Dementia Care Team worked closely with the physiotherapist on cognitive and muscle training of the aged blind by using equipment such as: the mobile remedial activity trolley, assistive and passive movement training equipments to deliver a
more comprehensive way of conducting the rehabilitation therapy for the needy clients.
Survey on Quality of Life of Aged Blind
The Hong Kong Society for the Blind commissioned the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS) of the Lingnan University to conduct a survey on the quality of life of the visually impaired elderly of Hong Kong between November 2008 and January 2009. After interviewing a total of 580 visually impaired elderly living in residential homes and in the community, a research report was completed in September 2009. A Press Conference to announce the result of the Research Report on “Quality of Life for the Visually Impaired Elderly in Hong Kong” cum Visually Impaired Elder Academy Launching Ceremony was held on 17 December 2009.
We felt honoured to have Dr Leong Che-hung, GBS, JP, Chairman of Elderly Commission, as our Chief Officiating Guest at the ceremony and Prof. Alfred Chan, BBS, JP, Director of APIAS of the Lingnan University, representing the Research Team to share with the participants the important findings of the research at the Press Conference. Our Physiotherapist introduced the application
of the User Manual while the Director of Residential Services concluded the Seminar by expressing views on the future directions of the services for the visually impaired elderly in Hong Kong. The Research Report and the User Manual jointly published by the HKSB and the APIAS of Lingnan University were distributed to the participants at the Press Conference.
Establishment of the First-ever Visually Impaired Elder Academy
In collaboration with the Christian Alliance College, the first-ever Visually Impaired Elder Academy in Hong Kong, “Lok Yi Elder Academy”, was established with classes to be commenced in September 2010 at the Jockey Club Tuen Mun Home for the Aged Blind. Secondary school students would be invited to teach the elderly computer knowledge, music appreciation, languages,
and etc. Under this arrangement, the visually impaired elderly would be able to acquire new knowledge and skills and be engaged in meaningful activities in a familiar environment with appropriate facilities. The establishment of the “Lok Yi Elder Academy” was to follow-up on the recommendation of the Research Report for bringing a positive meaning and improvment of the quality of life of the visually impaired elderly.
End of Life Care Project
Promotion of Palliative Care, End of Life Care and Spiritual Care among our residents was carried out to facilitate the residents to have a positive outlook towards life when facing challenges of ageing and health deterioration. Through participation in the programmes, the residents would be able to build up a “dignified living” and a “sense of belonging” to the Home. A counsellor was employed to conduct individual counselling sessions for the terminally ill and depressed residents in order to share their worries and fears and to offer them console and comfort to help them through difficult moments in life.
Several end-of-life care projects were held at different aged blind homes, such as the “Golden Rainbow Project” and “Happy Living Programmes” to introduce the concept of palliative and spiritual care to our residents. Group meetings and talks were organized to enhance residents’ positive attitude in facing the end of their lives. Memorial services were organized for the residents
and family members to express their grief and remembrance of their deceased friends and relatives.
During the year, talks and training programmes were also arranged for residents’ relatives and staff to enrich their knowledge and awareness of Palliative Care and End of Life Care. It was expected that, through these efforts, both our staff and residents’ relatives would have a better understanding of the provision of these special services for the residents.
Residential Care for Persons of Multiple Disabilities with Visual Impairment (MDVI)
Promotion of Positive Image of MDVI
The “Cheers” formed by trainees of the Morning Glory Day Activity Centre cum Hostel (MGCH) and the Bradbury Home (BH) is the first music band organized for persons of Multiple Disabilities with Visual Impairment (MDVI) in Hong Kong. Through giving public performances, the “Cheers” and “Happy Clowns” have gained public recognition and admiration of their potential in performing
arts. The two groups had often been invited to perform in elderly centres, community centres and the Shek Kip Mei Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre to promote arts for the disabled. They performed at numerous community programmes locally and as far as Taiwan and Singapore. Their performances at the welcoming dinner of the 3rd Hong Kong Conference for People with Intellectual Challenge on 15 August 2009 and on the International Day of Disabled Persons in November 2009, had been a showcase of their talents and passion for life.
With funding support from the Shamshuipo District Council, the Kowloon City District Council and Dr. Affandy Hariman, two booklets were produced to promote a positive and healthy living of MDVI. The social inclusion journey of the Cheers and Happy Clowns by giving public performances has brought lots of joy to the community, enhanced their community interaction and
promoted a positive image of the MDVI. One of the trainees, Mr Johnny Tsang, who is a talented performer, was being awarded “Registered Artist” by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2009.
Ageing in MDVI
Similar to the elderly group, the service users of our MDVI are also facing the problem of ageing. Due to decline in their functional abilities and health conditions, the day training programmes of MGCH had to be restructured. Two “Enhanced Care Corners” have been set up to provide better care to residents suffering from poor health or those newly discharged from hospital. Parents and family members welcome the special arrangements for hospice care and palliative care to the ageing clients too.
A “Carer Successor” Scheme that aims to solicit support of residents’ siblings to care for their multiply-handicapped brothers/ sisters was implemented. In the Three Year Programme Plan, it was our goal to work closely with the families in dealing with the challenges of “Ageing” and “Strengthening Family Support Network” for the purpose of meeting the psychosocial and physical needs of the ageing trainees and their parents. The “Carer Successor Scheme” has yielded good result with more than 30 siblings of the clients willing to participate in the Homes’ activities and to take up the responsibilities of caring for their siblings.
New Exposure for MDVI
The service users of Morning Glory Day Activity Centre cum Hostel (MGCH), the Bradbury Home (BH) and the Joyful Home (JH) attended the 3rd Hong Kong Conference for People with Intellectual Challenge held on 15 and 16 August 2009. Participants included the intellectual challenged, their family members and professional workers from Hong Kong, Guangdong Province and Macau. Two members of the Bradbury Home joined the Organizing Committee and took up responsible position at the Conference.
In order to widen the horizon and life experience of MDVI, 17 trainees and residents of MGCH, BH and JH visited Taiwan from 14 to 17 July 2009 with financial support from funds raised through a Charity Music Concert held in 2008. The clients were very excited and they gained valuable experience for travelling overseas the “first time” in their lives.
The Superintendent and Occupational Therapist of MGCH attended the 19th Asian Federation on Intellectual Disabilities Conference in Singapore from 22 to 26 November 2009 and presented a paper on the development of the music band “Cheers” in Hong Kong. Post-conference visits and an
exchange tour were arranged for 11 service users to Singapore. All of them had a joyful and memorable journey.
Fund-Raising Programmes
As at end of March 2010, a total sum of $268,180 was raised through the ongoing fund-raising programme - “Searching for Grateful Hearts” to support those clients coming from low-income families to receive needy service from our Joyful Home – a selffinanced small group home for MDVI. Led by Madam Annie Fonda, her Emergency Unit Team of Kowloon West had made great
efforts to raise a sum of $125,000 through a charity run held on 18 December 2009 to support future exchange tours and service development of MDVI.
Statistical Supplement 09/10
Enrolment as at 31 March 2010
Bradbury Care and Attention Home for the Aged Blind
| Male | 17 |
| Female | 28 |
| Total | 45 |
Kowloon Home for the Aged Blind
| Female | 76 |
| Total | 76 |
Yuen Long Home for the Aged Blind
| Care and Attention Section | |
| Male | 27 |
| Female | 26 |
| Infirmary Section | |
| Male | 5 |
| Female | 14 |
| Total | 72 |
Jockey Club Tuen Mun Home for the Aged Blind
| Care and Attention Section | |
| Male | 54 |
| Female | 134 |
| Infirmary Section | |
| Male | 6 |
| Female | 20 |
| Total | 214 |
Morning Glory DAC cum Hostel
Day Training Centre
| Male | 33 |
| Female | 29 |
| Total | 62 |
Hostel
| Male | 32 |
| Female | 30 |
| Total | 62 |
Bradbury Home
| Male | 4 |
| Female | 6 |
| Total | 10 |
Joyful Home
| Male | 4 |
| Female | 3 |
| Total | 7 |
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Barrier Free Access and Adaptive Equipment Services
Barrier Free Access Technology Service (BFATS) Centre
New Barrier Free Access Device and Design
Among the new range of services and facilities developed by BFATS in 2009/10, three new technologies were worth-mentioning:
a. A quick and economical method for adding Braille words on signs and displays through applying an adhesive sheet with transparent braille droplets onto the flat surface of the signs and displays. This new technology would save time and cost for putting up legends with Braille on maps for reading by visually impaired users. This new method was adopted
to add Braille on the maps and signs inside the Sau Ming Road Park, Choi Wan Road Sitting Out Area, and the British Consulate.
b. Heat resistant artificial granite was introduced to replace stainless steel as the basic material for producing outdoor multi-sensory maps. The new material had been used for making maps in the Shek Mun Estate and Chai Wan Estate under long exposure to sunlight.
c. A new type of multi-sensory map with tactile symbols connected to an audible system to give descriptions when pressed was tested with satisfactory result. This new design gives the most direct information about the different facilities shown on the map, with clear indications on how to reach them. To begin with, the maps installed inside our headquarters building would gradually be replaced by the multi-sensory tactile maps.
Accessibility Audit
Two representatives of BFATS were invited to serve on the Committee of “Access Guide 2009” organized by the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation. The Committee undertook to conduct an extensive survey on accessible facilities for the disabled in Hong Kong in order to produce an informative guide book for local travellers and overseas tourists with physical and sensory disabilities. To facilitate the collection of information for production of the Access Guide, more than eighty volunteers were trained by us to assess the accessibility of facilities for the visually impaired.
Accessibility Promotion
At a seminar we organized for the senior staff of LINK’s Maintenance Department in August 2009, the most updated information on barrier free access facilities for the visually impaired and practical examples on how to improve the accessibility for the disabled inside shopping malls managed by the LINK were presented. Subsequently, BFATS was engaged by the LINK to design tactile guide path routes and tactile maps inside their shopping malls for easy access of the visually impaired.
Adaptive Equipment Service (AES)
The objective of the Adaptive Equipment Service is to provide adaptive equipment in support of the active participation of the visually impaired in work, study and community activities for improvement of the quality of their life.
During the period under review, a wide range of new and affordable products were introduced to customers. These were: lowprice camera - MonoMouse & ColorMouse: portable magnifiers – Ruby, Pebble, and FarView; versatile video magnifier for students – SmartView Graduate and Focus 40 Blue Braille display at a very good discounted price.
The sales in 2009/10 were $3,760,026, representing an increase of 10% when compared to the same period in 2008/09.
Statistical Supplement 09/10
Barrier Free Access Technology Service Centre
| No. of tactile Maps Designed and Produced | 82 pcs |
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Education and Community Support Services
Centralised Braille Production Centre (CBPC)
Provision of Tactile & Braille Children Books
The recent manpower expansion in CBPC brought along an assessment of its production capacity to meet the various needs of our service users in different reading aspects. The first attempt in this direction was the introduction of tactile and braille children books in 2009, aiming to foster reading habit among visually impaired children.
Production Performance
It was a very demanding year for CBPC to meet with visually impaired students’ need for textbooks with the transition to the new 3-3-4 academic curriculum. Between April 2009 and March 2010, CBPC had transcribed 1,818 volumes of Braille books. Counting also the request for articles in loose sheets, a total of more than 215,000 Master Braille Sheets were produced, which represented an increase of more than 20% over the same period of previous year.
Information Accessibility Centre (IAC)
Tele-Digital Library Service for the Visually Impaired
The Tele-digital Library Service has revolutionized the way the visually impaired access information. The service provides 24-hour access to the voice-based library catalogue, talking books, periodicals, prices on sales items at supermarkets, information on cultural and leisure activities, and etc. In early 2010, the system was further upgraded and had become more stable and user-friendly. The average monthly hit rate increased to 25,250, which accounted for a 26.25% increase above the previous year.
Leisure and Cultural Activities
To widen the exposure and knowledge of the visually impaired, the Centre organized different types of leisure and cultural activities for our service users. This year, two guest speakers were invited to share their experiences of living in India and Africa respectively during two separate cultural exchange programmes.
In collaboration with the City University of Hong Kong, a programme, introducing Chinese folk songs and folk dances was conducted. In addition, Ms. Wong Ming Lok, a freelance writer cum Ming Pao columnist and radio programme hostess, was invited as our guest speaker to give a talk about her work.
Movie Audio Decription Programme
The launching of the movie audio description programme in 2009 made it possible for the visually impaired to enjoy the wonders of watching movie by bringing in the art of audio description of movie. The narrator’s job is to help the visually impaired understand what is happening on the screen by describing the messages that are conveyed through many different techniques and visual effects.
This programme has been very popular among our service users since its first launch in last June, and it has become a regular programme of the Centre. During the year under review, a total of 21 narrative movie shows had been conducted, with total attendances of 680. Also, in order to sustain
this endeavour, a movie narration volunteer team was established in April 2009 to conduct the programme on a regular basis.
Publication
In February 2010, a book entitled “English for Masseurs” was published to help visually impaired masseurs and students pursuing training in massage to enhance their skills in spoken English for better communication with English-speaking customers.
The book was the first of its kind ever published in Hong Kong. It is a practical guide suitable for both class teaching and self study. The book will be promoted among visually impaired masseurs in Hong Kong, Mainland China and even throughout the Chinese speaking world.
English Courses
During the year, the Centre organized four “Massage English Express” Courses for the visually impaired masseurs to enable them to communicate properly with Englishspeaking customers. There were a total of 20 service users enrolled in the four courses. In addition, 9 service users enrolled in two English courses to improve their oral skills in the day-to-day social interaction with foreigners.
Adult Education Courses
With support from the Labour and Welfare Bureau, five Adult Education Courses on “Information Access through the Use of Computers” had been conducted with a total enrollment of 51 service users. Five short courses on application of common computer programmes were also conducted for 30 service users.
The Forward Leap Programme
In 2009, with support from the British American Tobacco Company (Hong Kong) Limited, a “Forward Leap Programme” was introduced to help 30 visually impaired student /adult learners coming from lowincome families to overcome their learning difficulty by donating to each a notebook computer installed with free screen reading software and Microsoft Office programmes.
Helpdesk for the Visually Impaired
A technical support service hotline was established to help visually impaired users to tackle the problems arising from the use of information and communication technology and other assistive tools. This service was found to be very useful, with annual enquiries rising to 1,020, which accounted for a 36% increase over the previous year.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Project Grant: Parents Resource Centre for Visually Impaired Children (PRC)
New Programmes for Youth Members
To improve the communication skill and self-confidence of the visually impaired children and youth members of the Centre, a Broadcasting Training and Internet Radio Project was implemented. As part of their training, seven junior Disc Jockey(DJ) trainees were interviewed by professional DJs of the Radio and Television HK and Commercial Radio HK in four different radio programmes to publicize the services of the Hong Kong Society for the Blind and projects of the Centre, namely; the Internet Radio Project and the Marathon Charity Concert. The interviews were valuable opportunities for the DJ trainees to practise what they had learned, so as to enhance their confidence in public speaking.
The DJ trainees also produced 30 different radio programmes at a total length of 720 minutes for uploading onto the Internet Radio website. The programmes ranging from interviews, musical, information, games to radio drama, were browsed by over 4,500 people.
Marathon Charity Concert 2010
The 2010 Marathon Charity Concert was held on 6 and 7 March 2010 at the Metro Plaza of Kwai Fong. The Concert aimed to raise public awareness on the ability of persons with visual impairment and the prevention of visual impairment through early eye care for children.
At the Kick-off Ceremony, two visually impaired teenagers and eight visually impaired little angels sang the theme song with piano accompaniment by Mr. Lee Hin, Angel of The Arts with the Disabled Association to bring out the important message of eye care for children and youth. In addition to the piano performance by Mr. Lee Hin and the “Paper Tearing Art” demonstration by Master Uncle Man, the audience also enjoyed the talent shows given by 130 individuals and 5 music groups. The performers, no matter sighted or visually impaired, did their best to support the event through playing musical instruments, singing, dancing and Taekwondo. The outstanding performance of the visually impaired Disc Jockey trainees, who took turn to be Masters of Ceremony for the Concert, had been impressive.
Resource Centre for the Deafblind (RCDB)
Social Inclusion Programmes
Social inclusion has always been one of the main goals of RCDB. In April and May 2009, with funding support from the Shamshuipo District Council, a programme to train volunteers to serve and communicate with the deafblind was launched. In July 2009, 10 members participated in a Touch Art Workshop organized by the Arts with the Disabled Association, Hong Kong, which gave participants good social interaction experience.
On 29 August 2009, during the “SHKP Volunteer Team 6th Recognition Day ”, the audience was impressed by the performance of two of our deafblind members playing “sign song” at the ceremony.
Deafblind Angels
From August to October 2009, a tactile sign language training group was conducted for our members and volunteers whom we called “Deafblind Angels” . We are most grateful to the “Deafblind Angels” for providing various services to our deafblind members; to name a few: sign interpretation for the deafblind, escorting members for attending medical follow-ups, photo-taking, community visit, peer support and participation in the quarterly gathering for friendship building to bring our members into the community.
Community Support and Recreational Services (CSRS)
With funds raised, Community Support and Recreational Services was introduced in 2006 to provide emotional support and counselling services to the newly blind waitlisting for training at our Rehabilitation Centre. The services also include the provision of recreational, educational and developmental group activities for the graduates of the Rehabilitation Centre to strengthen their capability to lead a meaningful and independent life. Up to 31 March, 2010, a total of 458 persons have registered under the Community Support and Recreational Services with 331 being visually impaired members, 29 family members and 98 volunteers. During the year, CSRS organized five festive and seasonal programmes with a total of 191 participants, and 13 outdoor activities with a total of 618 participants. In addition, 29 groups were organized with a total of 519 attendances.
Volunteers Development Service (VDS)
A centralized Volunteer Card Number System was set up in November 2009. Up to date, 647 volunteers from various departments were registered and issued a card for easy identification and record of service hours in rendering volunteer service to our various service units. A Volunteer Outing was held on 12 March 2010 with 180 volunteers from 9 service units participating in it.
Twelve companies / corporations were nominated by the Hong Kong Society for the Blind to receive a Caring Company Logo under the Caring Company cum NGO Partnership Scheme organized by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. On 25 March 2010, we participated in “the Caring Company cum NGO Partnership Day 2009/10” to exhibit a number of projects that would be of interest to the commercial companies for joint venture.
Statistical Supplement 09/10
Centralised Braille Production Centre
Transcription Completed
Books (No. of Titles)
| English | 139 |
| Chinese | 401 |
Articles / Documents
| English | 330 |
| Chinese | 367 |
Thermoformed / Embossed / Bound
| Books (Volumes) | 5,248 |
| Books / Articles / Documents (Pages) | 558,438 |
Information Accessibility Centre
Membership
| Members | 2,696 |
Tele-digital Library Service for the Visually Impaired
| Usage Frequencies | 298,361 （calls） |
Netshare for the Visually Impaired
| Hit Rate | 527,820 |
Collection
| Braille Books | 9,405 (titles) |
| Talking Books | 5,177 (titles) |
| Music Compact Discs | 4,973 (discs) |
| CD-ROMs / VCDs /DVDs | 6,069 (discs) |
Loans
| Talking Books | 101,065（cassettes） |
| Braille Books | 11,087（volumes） |
| Talking Periodicals | 19,743（cassettes） |
| Brialle Periodicals | 5,947（volumes） |
| Music Compact Discs | 4,897（discs） |
| CD-ROMs / VCDs /DVDs | 4,143（discs） |
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Project Grant:
Parents Resource Centre for Visually Impaired Children
Membership
| Members | 844 |
| Affiliated Memebrs | 64 |
Member Attendance
| Drop-in members | 1,927 |
| Visitors | 103 |
| Enquiries / Referrals | 84 |
| Toy & Resource Loans | 474 |
Toy & Resource Library Collections
| Educational Toys | 451 |
| Reference Books | 890 |
| Educaitonal Compact Discs | 184 |
| Learning Tapes | 442 |
| Video Tapes | 121 |
| Video Compact Discs | 599 |
| CD-ROMs | 101 |
Resource Centre for the Deafblind
| Individual Membership: | |
| Individual Members | 3 |
| Individual Life Members | 16 |
| Individual Ordinary Members (Deafblind) | 44 |
| Individual Ordinary Members (Workers / Carers) | 46 |
| Total | 109 |
| Organisation Membership: | |
| Organisation Life Members | 9 |
| Ordinary Associate Members | 2 |
| Total | 11 |
Community Support and Recreational Services
Membership
| Visually Impaired Members | 331 |
| Family Members | 29 |
| Volunteer Members | 98 |
Sex Distribution
| Male | 212 |
| Female | 246 |
Age Profile
| 0-20 | 14 |
| 21-30 | 40 |
| 31-40 | 57 |
| 41-50 | 95 |
| 51-60 | 110 |
| 61-70 | 99 |
| 70 Above | 43 |
Number of Attendance
| Festival Programmes | 191 |
| Outings | 618 |
| RC Group Programmes | 519 |
Volunteer Development Service
Total number of volunteers registered as at 31 March 2010
| Female | 115 |
| Male | 532 |
| Total | 647 |
