Embracing social inclusion from visiting Factory for the Blind

The word "factory" may seem quite unfamiliar to today's young people in Hong Kong, and parents are not often exposed to it either. In that case, why not have a parent-child experience trip to the Factory for the Blind?

The Factory for the Blind, located at Kwun Tong Ping Shek Estate, was originally established in To Kwa Wan with a history of more than 60 years. It currently has four major businesses: paper products, sewing, filing tags, and packing services. There are around 210 disabled people working in the Factory.

A group of children and parents visited the Factory for the Blind one day. They were immediately attracted to some traditional carton box production machines, including carton separators, molding machines, printing machines, and binding machines…etc. For them, it felt like stepping back into the 1960s.

Upon entering the sewing section, the children and parents were surprised to see a visually impaired individual skillfully operating a sewing machine to produce clothing. How do they manage the task of threading a needle? The factory's visually impaired worker answered their questions one by one, helping the curious parents and children understand the process.

Have you ever used filing tags? Yes, we used them during the exam in secondary school! It was surprising to learn that the filing tags were produced by visually impaired workers operating a manual binding machine. A green rope connects memories from different eras.

Through the sharing by visually impaired workers, parents and children learned that individuals with disabilities do not feel discouraged by their limitations. By confronting various life challenges, disabled persons maintain an extremely positive attitude and become more engaged in both their work and personal lives. This indomitable spirit is truly something we can all learn from.

If you are interested in the tour of the Factory for the Blind, please contact Mr. Eric Hui or Ms. Zoe Fong at 2365 8698 for more details.