'Give us the opportunity to study or work'
People with mild intellectual disabilities want government to do more to help them contribute
Ho Man-keung enjoys computer programming and keenly follows the news, showing a special interest in politics. He is studying hard on a training programme. But, unlike most students in Hong Kong, Ho faces a future of dependence on his family and toiling for HK$21 per day in a workshop.
Ho says government policies for people who, like him, have mild intellectual disabilities are a disgrace. He wants Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to offer solutions in his policy address next month and is prepared to protest.
"We are robbed of the chance to have further education - all the programmes for those with intellectual disabilities are not accredited so it's hard for us to find jobs," Ho said.
A person with a mild intellectual disability can typically take care of their personal needs but has an IQ below 75 and a below-average intellectual capacity.
Fellow student Victor Lee Yu-lung shares Ho's frustrations.
Lee, 20, won two gold medals in table tennis at the 2008 Special Olympics. But rather than pursuing his preferred careers in sport or music, Lee has a part-time job delivering take-out food as he completes his final year of school. "Everyone should have dreams, and also an equal opportunity to pursue them," he said.