鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
Intheautumnoflastyear,IbeggedtheGovernmenttotakeononeortwoDownSyndromeyoungpeopleasemployeesintheCivilService.Thiswouldnotonlyhavesetanexampletoemployersintheprivatesector,buttheGovernmentitselfwouldbereallyhelpingthosewithspecificdisabilities.
Wehad3or4exchangesofletters.WealsohadalargeformalmeetingwithformalrepresentativesoftheDownSyndromeAssociation,aswellasitsSecretary,togetherwith5seniorcivilservants.Thenthewholeexercisebegantolosesteam,eventhoughtheCivilServicepaidavisittotheemploymentcentreoftheDownSyndromeAssociation.Meanwhile,IfoundoutthattheGovernmentgavenorealdetailsondisabledpeoplewhomtheyclaimedtoemploy.AllIknewwasthatthedefinitionof"disability"wasverywideindeed.Someonewithapermanentstiffneckortenniselbowwouldqualify.Nothingwrongwiththat,butIwaskeentofindoutiftheGovernmentactuallyemployedpeoplewiththekindofdisabilitythatrequirespatienceandempathyandcare.
IwrotetotheCivilServiceBureauaskingthemtoclarifywhattheGovernmentactuallydoestowardsemployingthosewithsignificantdisabilities.ThatwasonDecember30th.Ihaveyettoreceiveareply.IsentachasertothemonFebruary2nd.ThisiswhatIwrote:-
Butnothingsincethen.Noreply.Noresponse.Notevenanacknowledgementofthisfax.Soeffectively,nothingfor6months.IstheCivilServicemadeupofdaleks?
IfthisisthekindoflethargyIgetfromtheGovernmentonanissueasimportantasthis-anditismightyimportantbecauseitaffectstensofthousandsofDownSyndromepeopleandtheirfamiliesandsupporters,thenwhatdoesitsayaboutthesocialresponsibilityofourGovernmentinHongKong?It'snotverygood.It'sactuallyappalling.IhavebeenusingthispubliccolumntourgeandstalktheGovernment.Stillnothing.Iwouldhatetothinkwhereotherswiththeirlegitimatecomplaintswouldendupiftheyweresimplyprivatecitizens.Icanguess-incul-de-sacs,Ishouldthink.
Please,Government,please,pleasehelptheDownSyndromecommunitytointegrateintoourcommunity.TheyoungpeoplewithDownSyndromeneedalife.Theyneedemployment.Ifthereisaprejudiceagainstthem,whichthereis,theGovernmentneedstotakealeadinrectifyingit-andsetanexample.IgenuflectinfrontoftheCivilServicesothattheywouldemploy,tostartwith,justoneDownSyndromeperson.It'svitalforthisGovernmenttoshowcompassionandunderstandforthemselveswhatitmeanstobeanemployerofaDownSyndromeperson.Theywouldthenrealizethekindofcareinvolved.Andperhapsmuchmoreimportantly,fortheGovernmenttounderstandwhatitmeanstoaDownSyndromepersontobeemployed.IcantellyouthatforanyDownSyndromeperson,employmentisabig,bigdeal.It'stheirlife.