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More than half of community facilities examined in  Kwun Tong did not meet government standards for 'barrier-free living', causing hardship for the elderly and the disabled, a survey has found.
Almost 2,000  facilities, most built after 1997, were checked in the district last year. A total of 1,088 items, including entrances, footpaths, elevators and toilets, were found inconvenient for the disabled and other people with restricted mobility.
Of those facilities failing to meet the standards, the group re-examined the facilities  in February and found only 49 items, or 4.5 per cent, had been improved.
The research was conducted by Hong Kong College of Technology,  Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth  and the Kwun Tong District Council.
They also polled 789 district residents about their awareness of 'barrier-free living', which the government introduced guidelines for in 1997. Over 60 per cent said they were unaware of the concept.
Almost half said they did  not notice any facilities offering barrier-free access in the district.
Luk Yiu-tung,  a researcher  at the college,  said the result showed public ignorance of the importance of such facilities. Barrier-free features,  such as dropped kerbs  with warning strips at crossings or flatter ramps at entrances, were not designated for disabled persons only, he said. The elderly, children and pregnant women also benefited.
Ann So Lai-chun,  vice chairwoman of Kwun Tong District Council, said the district  had an ageing population and many residents had found community facilities inconvenient for years.
Under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, all buildings, regardless of when they were built, must provide access unless making alterations would result in 'unjustifiable hardship'. Kwun Tong District Officer Pauline Wong Po-lin  said the government preferred to improve the situation through promotion and education, rather than actively enforce the law.
Data inaccessible
'Barrier-free living' guidelines were introduced in 1997
The percentage of respondents who had never heard of the concept: 60%



Kwun Tong facilities fail to meet  standards for the disabled: survey