Discourage stereotyping by spreading awareness about the challenges that the disabled face, allowing others to empathise with them better.
Given that a lack of meaningful interactions between disabled and abled communities hinder mutual understanding, leading to misperception and discrimination against the disabled, how might we equip the abled community to effectively interact with the disabled community in the year 2024 and beyond?
Persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Singapore face systemic discrimination, limited opportunities, and societal misconceptions about their abilities. Despite making up a significant portion of the population, public awareness and acceptance remain low, with stereotypes equating disability with inability.
While organizations support PwDs’ integration, there is insufficient focus on fostering understanding among the able-bodied. Greater inclusion and interaction are vital for bridging divides, unlocking PwDs’ potential, and building a more cohesive society.
After our journey together in 2023, we have learnt many things through invaluable experiences that we have gone through as a team. One of which is that the abled community mainly are unfamiliar with the difficulties faced by the disabled community due to lack of interaction between both communities.
In 2024 and beyond, we hope to promote more interactions between both parties and create an environment where all feels safe and comfortable. We envisions a society where the barriers between the abled and disabled communities have been significantly reduced through increased interaction and mutual understanding. By promoting empathy and inclusivity, we have created an environment where everyone feels valued and included.
Kyra Seow
Team Leader
Natasha Lee
Secretary
Ciara Cheng
Research
Michelle Kang
Research
Chloe Tay
Outreach
Lim Yuhan
Outreach
Sarah Leong
Outreach