1.1.1 Hong Kong Profile
Hong Kong is a dynamic city and nothing remains static for long. This is true with our population status. According to the household survey conducted in 2003 by the Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, the elderly population in Hong Kong is on the upward trend. The percentage of total population with the age of 65 and above in 2003 was 11.7% i.e. 369,300 people. The projected percentage of population aged 65 and over in mid 2031 is 24% and the aging population trend is also reflected by the median age of the population increasing from 37 in 2001 to 46 in 2031.

This, together with the survey result from a report on Persons with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases published in 2001 by the Census and Statistics Department, give a picture of the changing population profile in Hong Kong. The report estimated that the percentage of total population with disability, that is, restriction in body movement, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech impairment, mental illness and/or autism was 4.0% or 269,500 people.

The issue of disability is a degree of relativity to a fit and able-bodied adult in his lifetime. A fit person who has twisted his ankle or suffered from more serious injury could be considered as temporarily disabled in some aspects. The temporary disablement implies that the person cannot negotiate steps and changes in level without crutches or even a wheelchair is required for access. An infant has to be taken care of by an adult who has to rely on an “assisted device” like a pram or pushchair. Some are dependent on assisted devices for a long period of their life e.g. a short sighted person has to rely on corrective glasses and as people get older, the visual impairment become more apparent. At the other end of the scale, there are ambulant people with disabilities and wheelchair users.