Sponsored by Zonta Club of Hong Kong East and co-organised by the Department of Social Work, CUHK and The Intellectual Disabled Education and Advocacy League (IDEAL), the IDEAL 30th Anniversary Seminar on “Carer Support” was successfully held on 25 September 2019 at the Yasumoto International Academic Park. More than 200 participants from the disability field and carers attended the Seminar and discussed on the stressful situations faced by the carers of people with intellectual disabilities as well as the appeal for establishment of case management system by the government.
Mrs. Prisca Poon Yuen Yuen Yau, the chairperson of IDEAL, held the opening ceremony and she stressed the importance of the seminar in developing services for people with intellectual disabilities in the long term. We are honoured to have Prof. Phyllis Wong King Shui from Department of Social Work, CUHK and Prof. Anna Hui Na Na from Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong to deliver keynote speeches. They shared topics on “The importance of case management from the perspective of life planning” and “Changes to rehabilitation services for children with special needs by case management” respectively.
Apart from those, carers who have children with intellectual disability at different stages (including preschool, schooling, adulthood and ageing) shared their personal experience. Through communication with the carers and Prof. Phyllis Wong, she explained the challenges faced by the carers in different stages and transitions in the concept of family life cycle and reaffirmed the importance to foster the government to set up a case management system.
(from left) Prof. Anna Hui Na Na, Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong; Dr. Au Mei Lan, Consultant, IDEAL; Prof. Phyllis Wong King Shui, Department of Social Work, CUHK; Mrs. Dannie Hongchoy, President, Zonta Club of Hong Kong East
A group photo of the participants