Deepening Greater Bay Area Exchanges to Enhance the Well-being of the Visually Impaired

In June, Mr. Mark Ng, Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services of HKSB, and Ms. Sabina Kwok, Superintendent of Morning Glory Day Activity Centre cum Hostel, were invited by Mr. Chen Yang, Consultant, and Ms. Li Weimei, Vice Chairperson of the Guangdong Association of the Blind, to visit the Zhongshan Association of the Blind, where Ms. Li serves as Chairperson. The visit featured a rich and compact itinerary. The delegation attended the Exchange Symposium, hosted by Consultant Chen Yang and Chairperson Li Weimei, with attendees including Mr. Zhou Zhiguang, Chairman of the Jiangmen Association of the Blind, and Ms. Chen Jianling, Chairperson of the Huangpu District (Guangzhou) Association of the Blind. It aimed to solidly advance exchange and collaboration in visually impaired services across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting mutual learning and experience sharing in visual impairment work between the regions. 

During the visit, the delegation toured several skill training massage centres in Xiaolan Town, Zhongshan, which specialize in therapeutic healthcare massage, pediatric massage, and postpartum care. Mr. Ng highlighted that these operational models offer practical and valuable insights for HKSB's Health Massage and Treatment Centres. Furthermore, the team visited the Shisheng Library—an organizer of poetry and prose recitation competitions—and tried "Clapper Ball," a unique sport tailored for visually impaired. Given that HKSB owns the "Cheers" Band, Ms. Kwok engaged in an in-depth dialogue with Mr. Peng Huasong, lead singer of the Zhongshan Disabled Persons Band. Mr. Peng warmly invited the "Cheers" Band to join them for a street performance during their next visit to Zhongshan.

This trip enabled HKSB to engage in meaningful two-way discussions with Chinese Mainland blind associations, elevating service standards in rehabilitation, employment, and barrier-free facility construction. The exchange laid a solid bridge for long-term cooperation, empowering the high-quality collaborative development of services for the visually impaired in both regions.