香港公益組織助殘智障人士自力更生

On December 16 2014， gold medal winner of the mild mental retardation student group of the 6th Hong Chi Cooking Competition—My Kitchen， Li Xiaobao is attentively making Bean Curd Pancake which has an amazing combination of color， aroma and taste.

2014年12月16日 匡智會第六屆「我的廚房」烹飪比賽輕度智障個人組美食金獎得主李小寶同學聚精會神炮制色香味俱全的「豆腐煎餅」。

Taiyuan Street， Hong Kong.

Behind the toy stands along the street lies a bright and spacious restaurant—HC Café. The sun illuminates the spotless dining tables and grounds through glass wall with summer warm.

It is a midday when the restaurant is full of guests with long lines forming before the cashier desk. Waiters in green uniform carry plates and serve the guests with elaborate food courteously. They do it as good as ordinary waiters and even with more politeness and tenderness.

In fact， they are people with intellectual disabilities who will pay much more efforts to do so.

香港太原街鬧市。

沿街賣著各式玩具的攤位后面，坐落著一家明亮寬敞的餐廳HC Café。陽光斜射入玻璃墻，帶著一絲夏日的溫度，照亮纖塵不染的餐桌和地面。

恰逢中午，店內已滿座，收銀臺前亦排起了長隊。身著綠色制服的服務員，手托餐盤穿過人群，彬彬有禮地將精心烹調的菜肴送至客人面前，一切與普通服務員無異，甚至更加禮貌溫柔。

然而他們都是智力障礙患者，要想達到如此的服務素質，付出的努力須比常人多許多。

According to the estimation of Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong estimated in 2013， there are approximately 71 to 101 thousand people with intellectual disabilities， taking up 1% to 1.4% of the total population. Apart from that， there are 578.6 thousand disabled people， about 8.1% of the total population， including 320 thousand with impaired physical performance， 175 thousand with visual impairment， 155 thousand with hearing impairment， 49 thousand with verbal ability impairment， 147 thousand of psychosis， 10 thousand of autism， 18 thousand with special learning difficulty and 13 thousand of ADHD. Among them， 558 thousand people are above 15 years old of which 341 thousand have retired and 81 thousand （including employed and unemployed） undertake economic business， far below the overall level which is over 60 % in Hong Kong. In 2013， the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions found that success rate of employment of the disabled didn’t reach 50%， and the disabled employees could only earn several thousand HKD， less than the average income level of ten thousand HKD in Hong Kong middle-class families.

The Sun has reported that it is difficult for people with disabilities to get a job offer even an interview from a private organization despite the fact that they have a bachelor’s or master’s degree， and most of the employed ones do low-tech jobs. For example， Zhao Haolin who graduated from department of design was only engaged in part-time jobs such as opening envelopes because he suffered thalassemia. Another disabled person with a diploma in Business Administration of The Chinese University of Hong Kong had sent over two hundred letters of job application and received no reply. However when there was no indication of disability in the letters， dozens of interview were provided. “Isn’t it discrimination？” Wang Wennie， Presiding Chairman of League of Mental Rehabilitation， who concealed from mental disease， said that he hided his illness in order to find a job. After 3 years he made a confession to his boss due to pressure， and was fired then with the reason of incompetence. Deng Jiabiao， Congressman of Hong Kong Legislative Council suggested the government to establish a “Job Quota System for the Disabled” to ensure them a job opportunity as the society had a prejudice against them.

香港政府統計處2013年統計估計，全港約有71，000至101，000名智障人士，占總人口1%至1.4%。除去智障人士，另有578，600名殘疾人士，占總人口8.1%，其中包括約32萬名身體活動能力受限人士，17.5萬名視覺障礙患者，15.5萬名聽覺障礙患者，4.9萬名言語能力困難人士，14.7萬名精神病/情緒病患者，自閉癥1萬人，特殊學習困難1.8萬人及1.3萬名注意力不足/過度活躍癥患者。15歲及以上的殘疾人士有55.8萬人，其中34.1萬人為退休人士，其余約有8.1萬人（包括就業和待業人士）從事經濟活動，遠低于全港整體從事經濟活動人口超過60%的比例。2013年，香港工會聯合會調查發現，殘疾人士就業成功率不足50%，成功就業者月薪僅數千元，低于全港中等家庭的萬元平均收入水平。

《太陽報》報道，即使殘疾人士獲得本科或碩士學位，仍難獲得私人機構聘請，甚至連面試機會都沒有，成功就業的也多是低技術工種。例如，設計系畢業的趙浩霖，由于患有地中海貧血癥，最終只能從事“拆信封”等兼職工作。另一名擁有香港中文大學工商管理學位的殘疾人士，曾發出兩百多封求職信都無回音。而不標明患有殘疾時，立刻便接到幾十個面試邀請，“你說不是歧視是什么！”曾患精神病的精神康復者聯盟執委會主席王文臬說，自己找工作時為增加成功機率選擇隱瞞病情，工作3年后因承受不住欺瞞壓力向上司坦白，但不久之后便遭上司以工作不力為由解雇。香港立法會議員鄧家彪認為，社會對殘疾人士存在偏見，建議政府設置“殘疾人士就業配額制”，以保障殘疾人士就業機會。

Hong Kong government and many commonweal organizations have made lots of efforts to promote social understanding of people with physical and mental disabilities and to create more jobs. In 2001， Hong Kong Social Welfare Department carried out the Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprise Project （3E's Project）. The Department committed 80 million HKD since then and funded non-government organizations in order to develop 95 small enterprise projects of different types， creating 710 special positions for the disabled people. It also implemented two programmes— “Sunnyway - On the Job Training Programme for Young People with Disabilities” and “On the Job Training Programme for People with Disabilities”， training and supporting those applying for jobs in open market and subsidizing the employers as an encouragement. In 2006， the Home Affairs Department carried out Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme， aiming to finance qualified non-profit organizations for their establishment of social enterprises and provide opportunities for the disadvantaged groups to find jobs and to integrate into communities. Labour Department set up the Selective Placement Division for people with disabilities and employer， building a platform of skills demonstration and self-promotion for disabled employees and assisting them to get a suitable job.

The Hong Kong commonweal organizations have a tradition of establishing social enterprises， and helping people with physical and mental disabilities improve job skills and finally achieve self-dependence. The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf always invites social workers to teach their members to write an applicant letter， to deal with an interview and to get along with normal colleagues and boss. Then the Society organizes its members to come to learn catering service， or have a training and internship in other commercial institutes of different types such as culture， IT， package， cosmetology， car washing etc. and non-government social service organizations. The Hong Kong Society for the Blind will provide internship organizations suitable for its members with visual impairment after their training on information technology application， language ability， business writing， interpersonal communication， such as the Society’s Empower Shop （for production of paper， textiles， and artifacts） and Factory for the Blind （for telemarketing and customer service）. In 2003， Hong Kong Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied （PHAB） Association launched PHABulous Marketing Limited and paid people with disabilities to serve clients in terms of pest control， cleaning， market development， paper file electrification etc depending on social needs. In 2011， the Association carried out “Starting from home： family volunteer programme”， training over 100 members and their families as community volunteers to visit the elder and the disabled family. The Association believes that people with similar experience can listen to each other so as to achieve mutual stimulation， improve self-confidence and promote harmony. Chen Jianxi， who is disabled because of muscle disease at the age of 25， participated in this programme. His mother said that， “He becomes optimistic and talkative than before.”

Although some are still confronted with many problems such as minimum salary standard not being guaranteed， long operating at a loss， not running due to small scale， many social enterprises are getting better and several has turn from deficits to profit and won a fame in communities.

為了促進社會對殘智障人士的了解，增加就業，香港政府和公益組織作出了很多努力。2001年，香港社會福利署推出的“創業展才能”計劃，至今已撥款8，000多萬港幣，資助非政府組織開展95個不同類型的小型企業項目，為殘疾人士創造逾710個專門職位。福利署還實施“‘陽光路上’培訓計劃”和“殘疾人士在職培訓計劃”，對在公開市場就業的殘疾人士進行培訓和支持，并補助雇主以鼓勵其聘用殘疾人士。2006年，香港民政事務總署實施“伙伴倡自強”社區協作計劃，向合資格的非牟利機構提供基金成立社會企業，為所有弱勢群體提供就業和融入社區機會。香港勞工處亦設有面向殘疾人士和雇主的展能就業科，給予殘疾雇員展現才能、推銷自我的平臺，助其找到合適的工作。

香港公益組織素有開辦社會企業，幫助殘智障人士提高工作能力，助其自力更生的傳統。香港聾人福利促進會常年聘請社工教導學員如何撰寫求職信、如何自如應對面試及如何與聽力健全的同事、上司相處，之后安排學員到促進會開設的“聰鳴茶座”接受餐飲服務訓練，或是到文化、IT、包裝、美容、洗車等其他行業的商業機構及非政府社會服務機構培訓見習；香港盲人輔導會在對學員進行資訊科技應用、語言能力、商業寫作、人際交流培訓后，會為學員分配適宜視障人士工作的實習場所，包括輔導會開辦的零售超市自強商店，提供紙制品、紡織品、手工制品生產和電話推銷、顧客服務的盲人工廠等；香港傷健協會2003年成立非凡市場拓展有限公司，針對社會需要，由殘疾人雇員為顧客進行害蟲防治、清潔除塵、市場拓展、紙質文件電子化等服務。2011年，傷健協會還開展“從家出發：家庭義工計劃”，培訓了一百多名傷健人士及其家人成為社區義工，探訪長者、殘障人士家庭。傷健協會相信，經歷相似的人更能理解傾聽，互相激勵，提高自信，促進和睦。當時二十五歲，因肌肉疾病而行動不便的陳建希成為義工后，其母親也說：“以前（建希）成日不出聲，做義工后變開朗了，講話多了?！?/p>

盡管現今社會企業面臨無法保障殘疾人士最低薪水標準、長期虧損無盈利、規模太小不能持續等問題，但在政府、基金會、商業企業的政策支持和資金援助下，許多社企情況趨于好轉，有些甚至戰勝了最初的困難時期，扭虧為盈，于社區間獲得了一定名聲。

HC Café is such a social enterprise which obtained fund from the 3E's Project Hong Kong Social Welfare Department in 2011. It was set up by Hong Chi Association and scores 3.6 points （maximum is 5） on Open Rice—a Hong Kong restaurant review website， gaining plenty of favorable reviews in terms of its tastes and service.

Hong Chi Association， formerly known as Hong Kong Association for the Mentally Handicapped， has a history of 50 years since its set-up in 1965. Hong， means to support， and Chi means intelligence. The Association devotes itself to offer professional treatment， skill training， enterprise internships and open employment services to people with mental retardation， assisting in tapping their own potential so as to progressing and depending on themselves.

Huang Meimei said that， 50 years ago as there was no special school established for children with mental retardation who were refused by normal schools， people with intellectual disabilities lost the equal right for education. To solve this problem， a group of parents of children with intellectual disabilities cofounded Hong Kong Association for the Education of Feeble Children in February， 1965， and set up a special school in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon respectively in 1966. With the social development， Hong Chi schools have moved to Songling village of New Territories in Hong Kong， providing education and skill trainings for over 600 people in different age and levels with intellectual disabilities.

HC Café便是2011年獲社會福利署“創業展才能”計劃資助、香港匡智會成立的社會企業，在香港餐飲點評網站Open Rice上網友評分3.6分（5分滿分），口味和服務都贏得不少好評。

匡智會，前身為香港弱智人士服務協進會，成立于1965年，至今已有50年歷史?？镏菚饔嵓敖涃M籌募部負責人黃美美介紹，“匡”意指匡扶，“智”為智力，匡智會致力于為智力障礙人士提供專業治療、技能培訓、社企實習和公開就業服務，幫助他們挖掘自身潛力，促進其發展與自立。

黃美美說，五十年前，香港沒有專為弱智兒童設立的學校，正常小學又幾乎都不接收弱智兒童就讀，香港的智障人士因此失去了平等受教育的機會。為解決這一問題，1965年2月，一群智障兒童的家長聯合成立“香港低能兒童教育協進會”，并在1964年和1966年分別于隔海相望的港島和九龍各建立一所特殊學校。隨著社會發展，匡智會學校遷至香港新界的松嶺村，如今為約600名不同年齡、不同程度的智障人士提供教育和技能訓練。

After learning at special schools， some students， based on their skills， will have an internship or find a job in enterprises established by Hong Chi Association， such as HC Café， Hong Chi Farmstead， Hong Chi Gourmet Central Kitchen， Hong Chi Gourmet Bakery， Hong Chi Homestead， The Jockey Club Hong Chi Lodge.

According to Huang Meimei， most of them appreciated the job opportunities and worked with more carefulness and high sense of responsibility. In 2009， many enterprises of Hong Chi Association co-hosted a wedding for Mr. and Mrs. Long. In their letter demonstrated by Huang Meimei， they referred a visit to Hong Chi Kwong Fuk Wai Yin Workshop making little flower cups for their wedding. The members there were clapping to welcome them， glad to see brother bridegroom and sister bride. “Can you imagine your wedding supplier clapped when they see you come to their shop？” it wrote in the letter. The couple also recalled that a member said proudly he was happy to tell his brother to work overtime together with him because of the wedding. They sighed that “we didn’t recall friends/ colleague or ourselves ever appreciated what we already have”. In the end of the letter， the Longs wrote that： “Maybe you need to allow a little more time than commercial vendors， but in return you will get the experiences to work with the amazing staff and workshop members and it will be all worth it.”

Mrs. Mai， who has hired a dozen of employees with disabilities， said they were more careful， steady and rarely job-hopping， which was good for firm’s growth.

Huang Meimei added that although it empathized with those of mental disabilities， the society had a poor understanding of them except their intellectual disabilities. Hong Chi Association have trained more than 80 members with intellectual disabilities for over a year to rehearse an opera based on stories of the Three Kingdoms such as To Borrow Arrows with Thatched Boats， Borrowing East Wind， Fire Assault on Multiple Camps etc. The opera mixed various kinds of art elements， such as sign language， Kung Fu， singing and dancing. Considering actors’ poor memory， all dialogues were prerecorded while some songs were performed by gifted members on live. Media reported that the director， playwrighter and people in charge of the opera as well as the parents express their expectation about it. The mother of a singer Wilson of the show said that： “It is unexpected he is able to do this！”

部分智障學員經過特殊學校的培訓后，會按所掌握技能進入匡智會創辦的HC Café、匡智環保農莊、匡智佳味中央廚房、匡智佳味糕餅、匡智園、賽馬會匡智居等十余家社會企業實習就業。

黃美美說，智障人士大多非常珍惜工作機會，態度認真負責且細致。2009年，匡智會多家社企聯合承辦了一對龍氏夫婦的婚禮。黃美美向筆者展示了龍氏夫婦親撰信函。上面提到，他們探訪為婚禮制作小花杯的匡智廣福慧妍雅集工場時，學員們拍手歡迎，很高興能見到“新郎哥哥和新娘姐姐”?！霸囅胂?，一般籌辦婚禮的公司會為到訪的客人拍手祝賀嗎？”信函寫道。龍氏夫婦還憶起聽到一位學員自豪說“因為這個婚禮要趕工，我很開心告訴阿哥我跟他一樣要加班！”，并感慨“身邊的朋友、同事，甚至連自己都從不會欣賞我們所擁有的一切?！毙拍?，龍氏夫婦寫道：“與其他承辦商相比，或許你要預留多一點準備時間，但匡智會一群出色的學員和盡心的員工將會為你帶來意想不到的體驗，你會認同就算多費點時間和心思都是值得的。

聘用了十余名殘疾人士的雇主麥女士亦說，殘疾人士工作仔細，不易跳槽，穩定性強，對公司業務發展有好處。

黃美美說，社會對智障人士大多抱有同情態度，但對其除智力不出眾之外的了解，卻遠遠不夠?？镏菚M織80多名智障學員花費一年多時間排練，演出糅合了手語、功夫、歌舞等多種元素，基于“草船借箭”、“借東風”、“火燒連營”等三國典故改編的音樂劇“細味人生”。由于演員記性不佳，所有對白都是預錄的，但部分歌曲卻是卓有天賦的學員現場獻唱。媒體報道，該劇編劇、導演、負責人和家長都感嘆演員進步超出預期，獻唱者Wilson的母親更坦言“沒想過孩子可以做到這件事！”

Members in Hong Chi also made achievements in many competitions. In 2005， Xianv （nickname）， as a representative of Hong Kong， participated in speed skating of Special Olympics in Nagano， Japan and won two silver medals in 222 meters and 333 meters speed skating items. In 2013， members from Kong Chi won 4 gold medals， 2 silver medals and 5 bronze medals in Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games held in Newcastle， Australia. In the same year， Tsang Kung Yuen obtained 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal in Asian Youth Para Games 2013. In 2014， Wong Pak To won the Second Class Honour and The Best Series Design Award in the 7th United Nations [WAAD] Greater China Region Anniversary Stamp and Envelope Design Competition， and Tsang Kin Lok obtained the Ancient Poetry Recitation Competition Champion （Junior Secondary School， Hong Kong）.

On October， 10th， 2015， Hong Chi will host 12th “Climbathon” HONG CHI Charity Stair Run， in order to raise funds， and build platform for its members to demonstrate their talents.

According to Huang Meimei， the social activities， competitions， and internships will develop the advantages of the members， assist their integration into society and open a window for the society to know more about them. Perhaps people with intellectual disabilities are disadvantaged in terms of learning and communication， but they are exceptional in many other aspects and even accomplish more due to their concentration.

Christy Cheung， who comes to HC Café for first time via a friend’s introduction， comments that： “They are ordinary people just like us. The environmental here is clean， the service is good， and the food is of Chinese and Western combined with a taste of home cooking.”

智障學員還在多項比賽中取得佳績。2005年，霞女（昵稱）代表香港去日本長野參加世界冬季特殊奧林匹克運動會速度滑冰比賽，勇奪速度滑冰222米和333米兩個項目的亞軍；2013年，匡智會學員在澳洲紐卡斯爾市舉辦的特殊奧林匹克亞太區運動會上，獲得4金、2銀、5銅，曾恭源同年奪得馬來西亞吉隆坡亞洲青少年殘疾人運動會2金1銀的好成績；2014年，黃柏淘榮獲第七屆聯合國“世界關顧自閉日”大中華地區心思心意郵票及紀念封圖案設計比賽二等獎及系列主題圖案設計獎；曾建樂獲全港中小學校古詩詞曲背誦比賽香港區初中組冠軍……

2015年10月10日，匡智會將舉辦第十二屆“匡智競步上云霄”慈善跑樓梯大賽，為智障學員募集經費，并給予學員才藝表演的平臺，向公眾展示他們的多面才能。

黃美美說，這些社會活動、比賽和企業實習都有利于學員們發揮所長，融入社會，亦為社會了解智障人士打開了窗口。智障人士或許學習、溝通能力不夠出色，但在其他很多方面卻非常有天賦，甚至因為足夠專一，能達成的成就比一般人更大。

經朋友介紹，首次來到HC Café就餐的顧客Christy Cheung便感言：“進店后發現其實都是普通人。環境干凈整潔，服務態度也好，菜單中西結合，有家常菜的味道?！?/p>