Category Archives: Articles & Journals

All they wanted was to help their special needs child become more independent. Who knew that this simple desire would lead to the opening of a special needs school and a Western food cafe? Founded by Faraliza Zainal and Ali Dawood, My Inspiring Journey Special Education Hub (MIJ) was opened in 2011 to help their […]

SINGAPORE – Ever since she was a young girl, Miss Tan Seet Ynn has been mindful she will have to care for her younger brother Sean, who has autism. As the 17-year-old Eden School student may not be able to work and support himself, she will have to do so, her parents have always told […]

Speaking on a Parliamentary motion titled “Education for Our Future”, the MP pointed out that while society is now more open and accepting of people with special needs, it is still not completely comfortable with them. SINGAPORE: Great strides have been made in encouraging and promoting inclusiveness in the community, but Singapore still has “some […]

When Jim Sinocchi was 25 years old, he was in a surfing accident that changed his life forever. He has had to use a wheelchair from then on, but he didn’t let this restrict him. With the help and encouragement of his employers, he bounced back and had a long and illustrious career. As one […]

United Overseas Bank (UOB)’s annual UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk event has raised over S$1.25 million for children’s charities across Asia, the bank said on Sunday. The event drew 17,000 of the bank’s customers, colleagues and their families in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. UOB employees and customers were also able to use […]

SINGAPORE – For Madam Jorah Mahmud, managing her teenage son’s behaviour is a daily challenge. Ansari, 18, has autism and frequently displays aggressive behaviour. Madam Jorah, 53, is afraid of taking him out of the house as he can unpredictably attack people around him. He once even bit her on the eye, she said. “As […]

Many Singapore companies are still reluctant to hire persons with disabilities (PwDs). To help them overcome this, the Singapore government – working through SG Enable – provides technical and funding support to encourage the hiring of people with special needs. Established in 2013, SG Enable is an agency that works to enable people with special […]

SINGAPORE – Caregivers of people with autism or intellectual disability will get more support, including help to defray the cost of hiring a foreign domestic worker. Currently, caregivers of those who cannot perform activities of daily living such as going to the toilet or showering, can apply for a discounted maid levy and a $120 […]

Aspiring artists aged 18 and above with special needs can now enrol in a programme launched by arts school Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) and charity Very Special Arts Singapore (VSA) yesterday. The programme will give a boost to those hoping to forge a career in the arts. The certificate in visual arts, issued […]

Last week, international non-governmental organisation Save The Children published its annual End of Childhood report, which ranked Singapore as number one out of 175 countries, tying with Slovenia. The indicators were: under-five mortality rate, child stunting, out-of-school children and youth, child labour, child marriage, adolescent birth rate, population displaced by conflict and child homicide rate. […]