I am writing to express my appreciation to the MTR Corporation's staff, who demonstrate their professionalism in serving passengers with visual impairment. I am a person with visual impairment, who commutes to work by the MTR every day. On my way, I always encounter helpful station assistants. When they approach me, they always ask me politely, "Where are you going? How may I help you?" This is not very common in Hong Kong as many people tend to push me or grab my arm without asking whether I need help or not. Also, they are able to tell me accurate directions by using "left", "right" and even clock positions (for example, walk to your 10 o'clock.) What impresses me most is that many of them know the proper way to lead visually impaired people (that is, they let me hold their elbows and walk half a step in front of me on my left or right-hand side). Obviously, they have received the relevant training. Sometimes I have to go to some unfamiliar stations so I seek help from the staff. They are willing to guide me to the platform or to a certain exit. At the same time, they offer to describe the routes to me so that I can find my way there on my own next time. What they do shows that they are aware of and truly believe in the abilities of people with visual impairment. I am particularly grateful to staff working at Shek Kip Mei, Prince Edward, Mei Foo and Tin Shui Wai stations, for their help. The MTR Corp has been catering to the needs of passengers with visual impairment by installing facilities like guide paths, audible signals near escalators and tactile maps, which make it possible for us to navigate in the stations independently. However, the key to enhancing accessibility is people. Only when more citizens are aware of the needs and the abilities of people with disabilities can we build a barrier-free community. Billy Yau, Shek Kip Mei
