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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (November 2) invited eligible organisations and individuals to apply for funding to acquire advanced Chinese screen readers and Braille displays to facilitate people with visual impairment's (PVI) surf in the information world on Internet and meet their studies or employment need for IT support.
With the generous donation of more than $7 millions from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust, the department launched the Jockey Club IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment to help PVI have access to information technology for social inclusion.
The objectives of the scheme are to support non-governmental and non-profit-making organisations providing services/ schooling to PVI and tertiary institutions to acquire the equipment; and to subsidise individual PVI in need to purchase these devices for the purpose of studies or employment.
The supported items of this scheme are: advanced Chinese screen reader, such as Chinese JAWS or its compatible; and Braille display of 40 cells, such as Power Braille or PAC Mate or its compatible.
Successful organisational applicants will be sponsored in the installation of Chinese screen reader (maximum $9,800 per set) and Braille display (maximum $36,000 per set). For successful individual applicants, the subsidy for Chinese screen reader will not be more than $9,800 and the one for Braille display will be 75% of the cost or $27,000, whichever is the less, for procurement of the item.
The department has sent letters to eligible organisational applicants to invite their tendering of applications. For individual applicants, their application must have nomination from rehabilitation units of the department, subvented non-governmental rehabilitation organisations, the students affairs offices of local tertiary institutions, principals of local secondary/ primary schools, or Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department and should be submitted vide the designated form with the quotations of the concerned items by nominating organisations.
The Jockey Club IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment is implemented in batches. The first round was launched last year. The deadline for applications of the current invitation (the third round) is December 8 this year.
For enquiries, please contact Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services Branch, Social Welfare Department at 2892 5652, through email to srm3@swd.gov.hk, or fax to 2119 9035. Public are welcome to browse the department Website http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_rehab/sub_listofserv/id_jcitspvi/; or CyberAble.net http://www.cyberable.net/eng/index.asp.
Ends/Thursday, November 2, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:09
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