HKU Bulletin January 2011 (Vol. 12 No. 1)

Buddies and volunteers can make a world of difference to the campus experience of a student with visual impairment. For first-year Arts Faculty student, To Shuk-yi, volunteers have made studying and travelling around campus that much easier. “In September some volunteers helped me in orienteering so it’s not too difficult to find my lecture theatres and classrooms,” she says. “My teachers are also very helpful. When I ask them they are happy to help me transform my notes into a readable format. In addition, my classmates have been willing to be my buddy and help me find resources and necessary information from the Internet and also to scan textbooks.” She has also found Web accessibility to be easy and efficient. “When I went to CEDARS colleagues helped me in the library where I have a resources room with a computer and software to read emails and e-books.” One drawback however, is the dearth of volunteers to help out. “I find that studying here is not too difficult, but I want to find some more volunteers to help me transform my files into a readable format because not all the files are readable, but it’s quite difficult to find volunteers,” she says. “CEDARS may consider offering more volunteers because the student helpers at the moment don’t have enough time.” Dr Eugenie Leung Director of CEDARS’ Counselling and Person Enrichment Team admits that more volunteers would ideal, but agrees that students are so busy with their own studies and extra curricula activities recruitment is often difficult. “Students these days have so many activities that they often don’t have time to volunteer as well,” she says. An Extra Pair of Eyes version that is fully accessible? It’s quite easy technically to have a universal version that is fully accessible.” “There is still a feeling that graduates with a disability work for a certain category of jobs, such as social workers. I am not against social workers, but our graduates with a disability may work in any profession. For example, I toil as a professor and some of my friends with a disability are IT professionals, accountants and school principals. They work in multinational companies, SMEs, universities and local schools. We have to educate employers to give up their preconception. Likewise, people with a disability should not screen themselves out of a particular category of jobs.” “When I attended conferences in the mainland a few years back, people were quite surprised that I was doing so well despite my disability. These days, they don’t raise an eyebrow. It takes time to change people’s mindset. “Companies talk about social responsibility when employing people with a disability. I would suggest not to emphasize ’responsibility’ because it means company expenses. We should sell the ability of people with a disability. They work just as well, and better in some cases. They tend to be more loyal. People with hearing or visual impairment tend to be less distracted. International surveys have found that people with a disability have less absenteeism from work. So it makes business sense to employ these individuals,” he adds. Professor T.H. Tse, who has worked at HKU for 39 years, has seen many changes on the campus and beyond. An active campaigner in the community, he has served on the government’s Rehabilitation Advisory Committee, and chaired its Sub-Committee on Access. Over the years he has seen enormous improvements at HKU. As an alumnus he started work at the Computer Centre and has taught in the University since 1979. “It is much more accessible now,” he says. “More importantly, people are much more positive towards people with a disability. I remember in the early days some potential students were interviewed about their disability and then rejected.” “Even when the Disability Action Committee was first launched, a learned member wondered why people with a disability didn’t go to another university where access was easier, rather than trying to negotiate the hilly terrain at HKU.” “My argument was that, as HKU is the best university in the Hong Kong, it should accept the best and provide the best facilities. Of course, things have changed since then. People are much more open now. Well, wheelchair access is not exactly barrier-free, but I’m hopeful that the new campus will be much better. “I believe we should educate people and raise awareness rather than relying on the law. It’s natural that everyone should be given an equal opportunity.” Having contracted polio at the age of two, Professor Tse gets around campus with the use of crutches. “Previously there was no alternative to stairs,” he says, “And these often did not have hand rails. These days, handrails have been installed but even then there are buildings where access is not easy. For example, there’s a lift in the Main Building now but for many years it was inaccessible to people in wheelchairs,” he says. Professor Tse favours universal access over special access for people with a disability, and cites the ramp between Knowles Building and K.K. Leung Building as an example. “Most able-bodied students use the ramp instead of the steps because it’s more convenient. So universal access works for everybody. The same goes for web pages – some people design a text version and an ordinary version. Why don’t we have one Universal access is key to integrated future. Professor T.H. Tse Accessibility for All * $ + ' ' $ ‘ / Q / ‘ ' 15 Cover Story The University of Hong Kong Bulletin January 2011