Hong Kong, China

Government responses

Mainstreaming of disability inclusion, participation, and partnerships 

• [n.d.] Persons who cannot wear a mask due to physical or mental illness, impairment or disability have been exempted from the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation. The exemption also applies to persons assisting another person who relies on lip-reading to communicate.

Continued access to goods and services

• [9 May 2020] The gradual reintroduction of rehabilitation services has begun with extra precautions. Service operators have been instructed to keep their service users informed of recent arrangements and to ensure the provision of PPE to staff.

Accessible public information

• [19 May 2020] The government media session on COVID-19 has provided sign language interpretation services.

Medical and quarantine policies and processes

• [15 September 2020] The Social Welfare Department has prepared quarantine facilities for residents at residential care homes for older persons and persons with disabilities.

Social protection and employment support

• [14 February 2020] Special considerations have been made regarding persons in receipt of disability allowance who, owing to the pandemic, have not satisfied residence requirement for social welfare; they have been told there is no rush to return to Hong Kong.
• [April 2020] In addition to utility, rent and transport subsidies, an extra payment of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme standard rate has been given to several allowances, including the Old Age Allowance, the Old Age Living Allowance, and the Disability Allowance.
• [26 March 2020] The maximum level of support under the Support Programme for Employees with Disabilities (SPED) has been raised to $40,000. SPED was launched in 2013 to provide employers with a one-off subsidy for each employee with a disability.
• [10 May 2020] Measures have been under discussion to encourage social enterprises to hire persons with disabilities through time-limited positions.
• [10 May 2020] Non-governmental organizations have been encouraged to set up more small businesses and create more job opportunities for people with disabilities.
• [10 May 2020] On-the-job training allowance has been increased, benefitting both persons with disabilities and their employers.
• [3 June 2020] The Work Orientation and Placement Scheme (WOPS) has incentivized employers to employ and coach persons with disabilities through the provision of allowances. These allowances would be increased in the second half of 2020, raising the maximum amount from $51,000 to $60,000.
• [3 June 2020] Two relief measures have been launched for enterprises subsidized by the Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprise Project of the Social Welfare Department. The measures have involved the advanced payment of operating grant instalments and the provision of supplementary grants.
• [9 June 2020] Recipients of social security benefits and the Individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy (I-WITS) would receive an additional one-off allowance. This measure would benefit 150,000 recipients of the Disability Allowance.

Institutions and facilities 

• [n.d.] Specific COVID-19 guidelines regarding residential care settings have been regularly reviewed and updated, including health advice to staff members.
• [n.d.] The Social Welfare Department has disseminated information on preventing the spread of COVID-19 to childcare centres and residential care homes for older persons and persons with disabilities.
• [2 February 2020] One-time special allowance assistance has been offered by the Social Welfare Department to 743 residential care homes for older persons and 323 residential care homes for persons with disabilities for the procurement of PPE and disinfectant supplies.
• [4 May 2020] A subsidy scheme has been approved to help 1,000 care homes for older persons and persons with disabilities to use anti-virus coating spray in their facilities.
• [19 May 2020] The government has announced that it would enhance testing to include workers at elderly and disability homes.
• [25 May 2020] The government has introduced measures to increase mask supply, such as distributing one reusable CuMask to each citizen and ten disposable masks to each household, as well as providing masks for residential care homes for older persons and persons with disabilities.
• [25 August 2020] The Social Welfare Department has commissioned a testing laboratory to start the targeted testing of staff at residential care homes.
• [January 2021] Residents and staff of residential care homes for persons with disabilities have been identified as a priority group in the vaccine roll-out.

Last modified: 6 May 2021