Ep 25: Chong Chan-Yau (CEO, CarbonCare Innolab & President, Hong Kong Blind Union)

Chong Chan-Yau is the CEO of CarbonCare InnoLab, the President of
the Hong Kong Blind Union, former Chairman and current Director
of The Board of the Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong Foundation,
former Chairman of and current Board Director of Carbon Care
Asia, former Executive Director of Oxfam Hong Kong.





He has received many awards including Ten Outstanding Young
Persons Award, MBE, China Poverty Alleviation Award, and Honorary
Fellowship from the University of Hong Kong. 





Chan-Yau grew up in Kowloon City, Hong Kong and became blind at
the age of 6. However, Chan-Yau has never allowed his blindness
to hold him back from defying society’s expectations &
creating great impact whether it’s in the area of fighting for
equal rights for the disabled to combating global poverty and
climate change. 





In this STIMY episode, we discuss:


1:41: Growing up in a large family of 10 in Kowloon City,
Hong Kong

3:49: Going blind at the age of 6

7:37: Studying at the Ebenezer School for the Blind & why
it took 1 year for his family to decide to let him go (including
learning Braille)

9:28: What it’s like learning Braille 

12:03: Being rebellious & defying expectations of what
being blind could do as students

16:04: Aspiring to further education & not doing what was
expected of blind people then (being telephone operators or
fortune tellers)

20:44: What drove Chan-Yau to constantly prove others wrong,
that “our ability is not affected by our blindness”

21:39: Attending regular school & receiving assistance
from Sister Moira of the Maryknoll Convent School

25:10: Entering the University of Hong Kong as one of its
first blind students

27:07: Petitioning the Governor of Hong Kong to provide more
equal rights and opportunities to blind people

30:44: Studying at the London School of Economics

33:35: Becoming the first Hong Kong government administrative
officer

34:48: Reason for joining Oxfam and becoming the Director of
Fundraising

36:06: How Chan-Yau developed the monthly donor base for
Oxfam Hong Kong from 3000 to over 100,000

39:47: Developing Oxfam rice & why rice was the medium
chosen

42:07: The development of rights of the blind in Hong Kong

44:48: Founding the Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong

46:40: How can employers create a more inclusive workplace
for the blind?

48:31: Entering the climate change space






Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/25