Hong Kong takes great pride in its ability to integrate people from different cultures and backgrounds into its society. But when it comes to integrating the disabled into the job market, a great deal more remains to be done.
According to a survey by Junior Chamber International Tai Ping Shan and Caritas Rehabilitation Service under the banner of 'Project Love and Hope - Promoting Employment of People with Disabilities', the jobless rate for disabled people in Hong Kong in May 2012 was 19 per cent - compared with the city's overall rate of 3.3 per cent for the same period.
At the April 22 announcement of the survey, Jacky Ko Chung-kit, project chairman on behalf of Junior Chamber Tai Ping Shan, called on employers to give the disabled a chance.
'Employing the disabled not only helps a person, it helps a family. The disabled work not only to support themselves. Work helps them gain self-confidence and seek their role in society. Their families are very happy to see them working because they regard it as an important way to gain social acceptance,' he says.
To promote the event, organisers launched a series of online activities, including a Facebook page, Weibo, an Android apps and discussion groups in the Uwants and Discuss forums.
Singer Yu Kiu, 'Love Ambassador' for the project, shot a video to promote the event. 'I worked with disabled people while I shot the video, and I think that they gave us a huge lift. They are capable of contributing, just like everyone else,' she says.
Stanley Cheung Yun-hang, who was selected as one of the 'Ten Outstanding Youth' in 2009, is the project's 'Hope Ambassador'. He encourages the disabled to work hard to earn opportunities.