Penerima Anugerah Upaya Goh Chok Tong 2022, Muhd Ammar Nasrulhaq mahu perkasakan golongan kurang daya pendengaran

SINGAPURA: Dari usianya 17 tahun lagi, tekad Muhd Ammar Nasrulhaq Abdul Karim sudah bulat dan mahu jadikan bidang tarian sebagai kerjayanya.

Kini pada usia 30 tahun, beliau bergelar sebagai seorang penari ‘hip hop’ dan koreografer. 

Malah, minatnya dalam tarian ‘hip hop’ juga membawanya menjelajah ke Perancis dan Norway untuk membuat persembahan.

Namun tidak seperti penari lain, beliau tidak bergantung pada irama muzik. Sebaliknya, beliau menggunakan daya penglihatan untuk ‘mendengar’ irama dan rentak muzik untuk  gerak tarinya.

Ini kerana beliau merupakan seorang penari yang kurang daya pendengaran.

Namun, beliau tidak menjadikannya sebagai alasan untuk tidak berikan yang terbaik dalam bidang yang diminatinya.

“Salah satu cabaran yang saya hadapi sebagai seorang penari adalah untuk mendengar muzik kerana terdapat salah tanggapan di mana orang ramai fikirkan bagaimana muzik boleh dikaitkan dengan golongan kurang daya pendengaran, dan memandangkan kita tidak boleh mendengar, bagaimana kita dapat mengikut rentak muzik.

“Jadi sepanjang saya membuat kajian, belajar, saya mula mencipta keupayaan sendiri ‘mendengar muzik’, bagaimana muzik beralun, bagaimana corak dan iramanya berbeza dan sebagainya. Saya lihat terdapat pelbagai cara untuk kita ‘lihat’ muzik berbanding dengan sekadar mendengarnya.

“Jadi misalnya bila saya sedang menari dan lihat penari lain menganggukkan kepala mereka, ini salah satu bentuk isyarat visual di mana saya dapat hitung ‘1,2,3,4’ dalam fikiran saya,” kata Muhd Ammar kepada BERITAmediacorp.

Muhd Ammar merupakan jurulatih utama dan koreografer bagi kumpulan tarian hip-hop ‘Redeafination’ yang dianggotai oleh golongan kurang daya pendengaran.

Selain aktif dalam bidang tarian, Muhd Ammar turut giat memperjuangkan pengalaman dan cabaran yang dihadapi oleh masyarakat kurang daya pendengaran di Singapura.

Ini dilakukannya menerusi penglibatannya sebagai Karyawan Bersekutu di Access Path Productions serta kerjasama dengan institusi-institusi tempatan seperti Muzium Negara, LASALLE dan Esplanade.

“Seringkali sebagai seorang karyawan daripada golongan kurang upaya, anda sering menghadapi cabaran dari segi akses dan ada perkara yang belum lagi disesuaikan untuk golongan seperti kita dan itu membuat anda berasa kurang puas hati dengan apa yang anda lakukan.

“Selama beberapa tahun saya belajar, terdapat banyak perkara yang ingin saya persoalkan dan saya sedar, mungkin individu yang lain juga ada persoalan yang sama dan ini mendorong saya untuk memperkasa mereka supaya dapat buktikan kepada mereka bahawa jika saya dapat lakukan sesuatu, mereka juga boleh lakukannya. Jadi saya ingin menjadi seorang peran contoh untuk memperjuangkan dan memperkasakan rakan-rakan saya yang kurang daya pendengaran,” kata Muhd Ammar.

Berkat usaha dan dedikasi untuk membantu golongan kurang pendengaran seperti dirinya, Muhd Ammar dianugerahkan dengan Anugerah Upaya Goh Chok Tong 2022 (UBS Promise).

Beliau antara 15 individu yang menerima Anugerah Upaya Goh Chok Tong 2022 daripada Presiden Halimah dalam satu majlis di Istana siang tadi (1 Dis).

Anugerah itu diberikan kepada individu kurang upaya yang menunjukkan tekad untuk melangkah jauh lagi dalam bidang pilihan mereka dan keinginan untuk berkhidmat kepada masyarakat.

GCTEA (UBS Promise) awardees with President and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Dec 1, 2022. 

SINGAPORE: Fifteen people with disabilities were honoured on Thursday (Dec 1) at the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (GCTEA).

The GCTEA  was launched in 2019 to advocate for greater inclusivity across Singapore and has since celebrated the achievements of 57 awardees over four editions. 

On Thursday, three people aged 35 to 72 were awarded the GCTEA (UBS Achievement), which celebrates people with disabilities who have made significant accomplishments in their own fields. They received S$10,000 each.

Among the three awardees was Paralympic bronze medalist swimmer Theresa Goh, who is also the first Paralympian to be elected to the Singapore National Olympic Council’s Athletes Commission.

GCTEA (UBS Achievement) awardees with President and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Dec 1, 2022. 

“Today’s awardees prove to us that there are no boundaries to what persons with disabilities can achieve, when given the opportunity,” said President Halimah Yacob, who was guest of honour at the ceremony at the Istana.

“As a society, we must strengthen our collective efforts to build a more caring and inclusive Singapore – one where persons with disabilities are enabled to pursue their aspirations, achieve their fullest potential, and participate as integral and contributing members of society.”

The ceremony was also attended by Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong himself as well as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and for Social and Family Development Eric Chua.

“The awards matter because they give meaning to an inclusive society. We are happy to help our persons with disabilities fulfil their aspirations, as well as integrate them in the community and in the workplace,” said ESM Goh.

“They are part of our social fabric and can contribute to society.”

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong speaking at the GCTEA.

In addition, S$5,000 was given to Bizlink Centre Singapore, Singapore Disability Sports Council and ART:DIS Singapore each, in recognition of their role in nominating and contributing to the success of the three award recipients under the UBS Achievement category.

Twelve people were also awarded the GCTEA (UBS Promise) in recognition of their potential and commitment to serve the community. 

They received S$5,000 each.

“We continue to be impressed by the high calibre of nominations we receive year on year, which is testament to the exceptional talent and motivation of persons with disabilities,” said GCTEA evaluation panel chairman Wong Meng Ee.

“The nominees have all demonstrated significant achievements in their own right and it was definitely not an easy selection process. We hope to inspire more persons with disabilities through the Awards and look forward to more applications in the years to come.”

The GCTEA is supported by Tote Board as a founding sponsor and UBS Singapore as principal sponsor.

It is an initiative of the Mediacorp Enable Fund (MEF), a community fund administered by the SG Enable agency with Mediacorp as official media partner. 

Chief executive officer of Mediacorp Tham Loke Kheng said: “Every year, we are reminded of the incredible grit and determination of persons with disabilities who continue to overcome many challenges to accomplish outstanding personal achievements and positively impact our communities.

第三届吴作栋协立奖颁奖礼在总统府举行，本届大会颁奖给13名残障人士。这个由新传媒协立慈善基金设立的奖项，主要表扬残障人士寻求自我突破的同时，也启发他人。

56岁的陈惠文，是这届吴作栋协立奖的得主之一。2015年惠文因吃中式生鱼片而细菌感染，入院治疗四个月，还在鬼门关走了一趟。虽然命保住了，不过四肢却因血液不循环坏死发黑，需要截肢。人生突然遭遇这么大变故，惠文表示当时犹如从悬崖坠入大海，截肢后日常生活受到重创，失去自立的能力。一晃两三年时间过去，惠文在家人的鼓励下决定重新振作、积极复建，逐渐适应截肢后的新生活。

惠文本来是一名技师，截肢后失去工作。花几年时间复健后想重返职场，却不容易。他后来决定进修建筑设计课程提升自己，之后凭新技能顺利通过职业展找到目前3D建筑绘图设计师的工作。惠文说自己对电脑科技一窍不通，修读建筑设计课程之路并不顺畅，一度几乎放弃，还好最后坚持了下来，甚至因此成功找到新工作。

29岁的庄祈平，也获颁本届吴作栋协立奖。2018年的一天，祈平一觉醒来后突然双脚无力，到医院诊断后发现是脊椎中风，下半身失去知觉不能行走。当年26岁的他身体一向健康，中风前毫无征兆。因此被诊断脊椎中风、医生说此后得以轮椅代步时，对祈平和家人的打击可想而知。但天性乐观的祈平说，他没有沉浸在悲伤中，反而在之后的两年多积极复建，希望尽快展开新生活。不过让他感到遗憾的，是需要放弃原本热爱的厨师工作，因为餐厅厨房一般不适合轮椅活动。

难以重拾老本行，祈平也不灰心，而是走出另一条路。他在志愿福利团体的帮助下已重返职场，现在是公共巴士业者易塔通的员工，主要帮助改善和推动公共交通的包容性文化。当被问及本地公共交通包容性方面能如何进一步提升时，他说现在仍有很多公众不太明白特需人士所面对的挑战，因此他希望通过推出和公共巴士包容性有关的课程，以提高公众这方面的意识。

Source: 8world

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/13-people-disabilities-honoured-goh-chok-tong-enable-awards-video-2357106

An accomplished architect and an aspiring painter were among the 13 people with disabilities who were honoured on Friday (Dec 3) at this year’s Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards. The award celebrates their accomplishments and potential.

Source: CNA

At 20 years old, Fathima Zohra was a fit and healthy student, part-time model and social media influencer. The young Singaporean was on the cusp of her life.

And then one day, during a trip to India, the car she was riding hit a tree. Zohra was instantly thrown from the backseat to the windshield. 

Life as she knew it changed forever. 

“I was instantly paralysed from the neck down. I had a minor brain injury, and a very severe spinal cord injury – every muscle that is below my neck was paralysed, meaning the muscles that should help me breathe, were affected too,” shared the 24-year-old, who also goes by the name Zoe Zora.

As she faced the reality of her injuries, she became “an emotional, mental and physical wreck”.

“For a long time, I didn’t really want to move forward in life,” she shared with CNA Lifestyle. “I didn’t know who I was anymore”.

Most people think she’s a paraplegic, she explained, since she can move her arms.

“But I have limited function in my limbs and I’m constantly in a lot of pain. Any amount of paralysis in the upper limbs classifies you as a quadriplegic,” she explained.

It may sound like the scariest word in the world, but the fighter in Zohra has since come to terms and even embraced her situation. 

Suddenly becoming disabled might be “one of the most heartbreaking experiences (Zohra) had to go through”. What it took was a demoralising doctor with terrible bedside manners to turn things around for her. 

A year and a half into her injury, she went to see an orthopaedist. At this point, she was recovering and starting to feel better.

“I was so joyful, I asked him when I was going to walk again,” she candidly shared. “And do you know what he did? He laughed at my face and told me I had very great ambitions.”

Zohra went home and broke down. 

“I was 21 years old then and I was so motivated to get better, but this put me down so bad. It made me feel terrible,” she said. “Isn’t a doctor suppose to make me feel better?”

The entire episode turned out to be her biggest motivator. 

“Yes maybe I can’t ever walk again, but it’s not like I can never do anything ever again,” she shared. “ That’s when I said to myself that ‘I’m not going to let somebody else tell me what I am capable of’ and I took it into my own hands.

“It was my turning point. You know, he may have said this. And I love proving people wrong,” she added with a smile. 

That’s when Zohra’s whole fitness journey restarted. She decided to join the gym, did more physiotherapy and took it upon herself to become stronger physically.

Four years after that fateful accident, Zohra now works full-time as a programme manager at Runninghour, a sports co-operative which integrates people with special needs through running. She’s also an active disability and mental health advocate who still manages to find time to continue modelling. And run an Instagram account (@zoraaax6) filled with motivational captions, beauty favourites and her inspiring fitness journey for her thousands of followers.

It’s through the process of coming to terms with her condition that she found a new purpose and a voice. And she’s been very vocal about it.

“I’m so loud about my disability because I want people to get comfortable with seeing people with disabilities everywhere,” said Zohra. “You’ll see me at the beach, you’ll see me at restaurants. And I do this in hope that society starts treating disabled people as part of society too, you know? Because we can co-exist.”

There have been daily incidents which prompted her to speak up.

“I live with a very visible disability. I work full-time and I’m constantly outside in public places. And because I use public transport, it has called for a lot of questions from people who randomly approach me asking me what happened to me,” she explained.

“Not many people realise that a personal question like this would mean that I’m being taken right back to that traumatic experience in my life. It could affect me mentally even if I was having a happy day before.”

Other deeply affecting incidents include strangers coming up to touch her legs asking if she can feel it.

“It’s hard being a woman in today’s society, but can you imagine being a disabled woman?” she said. “So I decided to fight for better representation. I don’t want any female to ever feel the way I did as a disabled woman.”

Advocating for the disabled and educating the able-bodied about being inclusive has been key for Zohra, who received the Goh Chok Tong Enable Award in 2019.

The award is a Mediacorp Enable Fund initiative that aims to recognise the achievements of persons with disabilities.

Megan Tang has always loved to dance since young.

SINGAPORE — In 2017, Megan Tang became the first dancer under the age of 18 to be accepted into the Down Syndrome Association (Singapore) Fusion Dance Enrichment Programme.

This year, the 16-year-old added another feather to her cap: She was selected to be a part of the Special Olympics Singapore DanceSport team, which is preparing for upcoming competitions, such as the 2023 summer games in Berlin.

For Megan, who was born with Down syndrome, it felt like a dream come true since she has always loved to dance since young.

“I felt happy and joyful when I heard I was selected for the team since I would be competing with people from many countries,” said Megan, who studies at the Association for Persons with Special Needs Tanglin School.

She was among last year’s recipients of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards, which recognises persons with disabilities.

The third edition of the awards – an initiative of the Mediacorp Enable Fund – is making a return this year with award organisers launching a public call for nominations that will close on Aug 31.

The awards comprise two categories: UBS Achievement and UBS Promise.

The UBS Achievement award is given to persons with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their own fields, with up to three individuals being awarded S$10,000.

The UBS Promise award, which Megan won, is given to persons with disabilities who have shown potential to reach greater heights in their areas of talent, with up to 10 individuals each receiving S$5,000.

“I felt honoured to receive the award,” said Megan, who dances four times a week at various dance studios in Singapore.

Besides dancing for the Down Syndrome Association (Singapore) Fusion Dance group, the Diverse Abilities Dance Collective, and practising for the Special Olympics, Megan is also enrolled at a private dance studio to dance with children with no disabilities.

“Initially, there were some dance movements that Megan found challenging due to her shorter limbs and height,” said her mother, Ms Jasmine Lai, 47, who works in the government sector.

She added that while Megan had some meltdowns at the start, she was able to “gain back” her composure and continue with practices.

“For Megan, it can be quite tough. But she never gives up.”

When asked if she ever feels exhausted from dancing so frequently every week, Megan said that dancing does not tire her out.

“It makes me feel relaxed… I gain energy from practising,” she said.

Mr Joshua Tseng has thrived in the field of public speaking, advocating for the visually impaired community.

VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUBLIC SPEAKER

Another recipient of the UBS Promise award last year was student Joshua Tseng, 23, who was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma – a disease in which high fluid pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve – when he was seven.

By the age of 16, Mr Tseng – now a student studying information systems at Singapore Management University – had only around 10 to 15 per cent of his vision left.

Right before he graduated from secondary school, a doctor told Ms Tseng that he might not be able to further his studies and might have to consider working as a masseur.

“I was very offended… it’s a bit insulting to be told that it’s your only option,” Mr Tseng said, adding that this conversation with his doctor made him want to “prove people wrong”.

Despite his deteriorating eyesight, Mr Tseng has thrived in the field of public speaking, advocating for the visually impaired community.

He is particularly passionate about the importance of accessibility, a topic he talks about at events such as TEDxYouth talks in schools.

Mr Tseng has also spoken at a Microsoft event last year, where he emphasised the importance of accessibility for the visually impaired.

“This directly affects me on a daily basis… I will open an application or a website and find that it’s just not accessible for screen readers (a software that reads out the text displayed on the screen),” he said.

Ms Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha has taken part in boccia competitions around the globe – including the London and Rio Paralympics in 2012 and 2016.

TWO-TIME BOCCIA PARALYMPIAN

Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy – which refers to a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and damage to a person’s muscles over time – as a young child, Ms Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha, 36, had been using a wheelchair to get around since primary school.

She later learnt as an adult that she had spinal muscular atrophy Type 2. Both muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy Type 2 are types of neuromuscular disorders.

Despite this, and never being able to walk, Ms Nurulasyiqah has gone on to take part in boccia competitions around the globe – including the London and Rio Paralympics in 2012 and 2016, where she finished in seventh and fourth place respectively.

In 2004, Ms Nurulasyiqah first started playing boccia, a precision sport that involves rolling or throwing a ball towards a target, when she joined the Singapore Disability Sports Council’s recreational team.

Since then she has captained the Singapore boccia pair team from 2008 to 2019 and continues to be a mentor to promising boccia athletes from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore) through sharing her experience with them.

“I try to share with them the excitement of travelling (for competitions) but also give them a reality check that it’s not all going to be a bed of roses. There’s a lot of preparation and behind-the-scenes work,” she said.

Winning the UBS Promise award and being recognised for her efforts was an honour, Ms Nurulasyiqah said.

“I would like to continue being a meaningful contributor to my community and be an example to others with disabilities and (show them) what is possible if you dare to try.”

Source: todayonline 

UBS Achievement awardees at the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards on Dec 3, 2020.

SINGAPORE: Nominations for the third edition of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (GCTEA) opened on Thursday (Jul 8). 

The GCTEA recognises the achievements of people with disabilities and motivates those with the potential to go the distance with their endeavours.

Nominations will remain open until Aug 31, 2021. 

There are two categories: GCTEA (UBS Achievement) and GCTEA (UBS Promise).

The GCTEA (UBS Achievement) recognises people with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their own fields and serve as an inspiration to others. Up to three individuals will each be awarded S$10,000. 

Additionally, to recognise the efforts made by nominating organisations which are Institutions of Public Character and government educational institutions, they will each receive S$5,000 if their nominee is selected as a winner of this award category.

Source: CNA/ad(ac) 

SINGAPORE: The second edition of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (GCTEA) saw 16 awardees honoured in a ceremony at the Istana on Thursday (Dec 3).

The GCTEA celebrates the achievements and promise of exceptional people with disabilities.

“As a society, we can do more to support persons with disabilities in their integration into the wider community,” said guest of honour President Halimah Yacob.

“Many of you have truly exemplified the spirit of positivity and resilience. You have shown that persons with disabilities can also contribute and bring value to organisations, businesses and our society. Let us continue to provide persons with disabilities with opportunities to pursue their talents and aspirations.” 

The ceremony was also attended by special guest Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong and Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.

Now in its second year, the GCTEA saw more awardees, up from the 13 in its first edition. The awards were launched in 2019 by ESM Goh, who is the patron of the Mediacorp Enable Fund (MEF). 

“Through these awards, we want to show the world what our persons with disabilities can achieve, when given the opportunity to prove themselves,” said ESM Goh. 

“We want to encourage more Singaporeans to welcome and integrate them in the community and in the workplace.” 

Four people, aged 29 to 76, were given the GCT Enable Award (UBS Achievement), which celebrates people with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their own fields and serve as an inspiration to others. They received S$10,000 each. 

In addition, S$5,000 was given to to recognise the efforts made by a nominating organisation – Very Special Arts – which nominated established pianist Azariah Tan. 

Despite his hearing impairment, Dr Tan, the youngest awardee of this category at 29, has given inspirational talks and performances at fundraising concerts. 

Twelve people were awarded the GCT Enable Award (UBS Promise), in recognition for their potential and commitment to serve the community. 

The awardees, aged 14 to 35, received S$5,000 each.

“It is our honour to acknowledge the achievements and promise of these extraordinary individuals who are able to overcome their challenges, accomplish personal achievements and be a positive driver of change and inspiration,” said Mr Edmund Koh, President of Asia Pacific, UBS.

“Each and every one of the finalists are incredibly inspiring and extremely deserving of this award. A common denominator amongst all of them is their determination to overcome their difficulties and still care for their community. 

“This quality is even more important during this time of the pandemic where they inspire us to continue to be resilient, courageous and stand united to help each other,” Mr Koh added.

Chief executive officer of Mediacorp Tham Loke Kheng said, “The awards recognises those who had overcome great challenges to accomplish incredible personal achievements and positively impact our communities.  We hope that their grit and determination will continue to inspire others to maximise their potential in their respective fields.”

The awards is an initiative of the MEF, a community fund administered by SG Enable, with Mediacorp as its official media partner. 

The awards is supported by the Singapore Totalisator Board (Tote Board) as the founding sponsor and UBS Singapore as the principal sponsor, and comprise two categories: GCTEA (UBS Achievement) and GCTEA (UBS Promise).

The MEF is a charity fund that aims to help build a society where persons with disabilities are recognised for their abilities and lead full, socially integrated lives. 

SINGAPORE: Thirteen people with disabilities were celebrated at the inaugural Goh Chok Tong (GCT) Enable Awards on Wednesday (Jul 3) in recognition of their achievements and potential.

The awards recognise the achievements of people across different disability types. It is an initiative by the Mediacorp Enable Fund, initiated by Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong in 2016 to bring about a “kinder and gentler Singapore.”

“Our vision is to change society’s perception of them, from seeing only their disabilities to recognising their abilities, promise and achievements,” said Mr Goh at the event.

“We should celebrate the accomplishments of persons with disabilities, and not only for the challenges they have overcome but also for who they are and what they have contributed to the country.”

The ages of the 13 recipients ranged from 14 to 82.

Three people were awarded the GCT Enable Award (UBS Achievement), which celebrates people with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their respective fields. They received S$10,000 each.

Michael Ngu, 62, was one of the awardees. Diagnosed with polio when he was five, Mr Ngu suffered permanent paralysis of both lower limbs. 

Today, he is the president and CEO of Architects 61, an award-winning local architect firm, which helped design notable local buildings such as the AXA tower and Changi Airport Terminal 1.

He represented Singapore in hand cycling at the 2014 Asian Paralympic Games.

When asked about his feelings after receiving the award, Mr Ngu said he never thought he would receive an award like this. 

Recalling his childhood in Kuching, Malaysia, Mr Ngu explained that he grew up with the stigma that disabled people are “essentially nobody”.

“This award, more than anything else I have achieved, is so much more meaningful,” he added.

“Because it means a lot, not just to me, but (it is) in recognition (of) a marked time when I think the disabled or the less fortunate may be inspired and encouraged.”

Former President of Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped Tan Guan Heng, 82, along with Paralympic athlete and youngest Nominated Member of Parliament Yip Pin Xiu, 27, were the other two award recipients in this category.

Ten people were recipients of the GCT Enable Award (UBS Promise), which recognises those who have displayed a high level of potential in a talent or skill. They each received S$5,000 to motivate them to reach greater heights.

When asked about what he would do with the money, competitive swimmer Wong Zhi Wei, 17, said: “I’ll use the money to support my sports career and save for my studies, because I plan to go to university.”

Zhi Wei, who is visually impaired, was Singapore’s first gold medalist at the Asia Youth Para Games 2017. He is currently chasing his dream of becoming a Paralympian and hopes to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

When asked about his message to others, he responded: “Dare to dream and dare to live.

“This award is a way to give us a voice, to give people with disabilities a voice and say, ‘we are here and we can do great things’.”

Social media influencer Fathima Zohra, 22, plans to use the award money to create awareness and speak up for a more inclusive society by producing advocacy videos for people with disabilities.

“I hope to record stories that need to be heard, and put it out to the public so that society is more aware of the challenges people with disabilities face, now that I have lived a life before my accident,” said the former model.

A traffic accident nearly killed Ms Fathima in 2017. She became paraplegic and was too weak to breathe, and doctors had to puncture her trachea to keep her alive.

“Society immediately sympathises or pities us, but what we require more is, I think, just encouragement. It makes a huge difference for anyone with a disability,” she said.

“This award is giving us a lot of power. Because with this, we are motivated to change the perception of society.”

Since its inception, the Mediacorp Enable Fund has supported 1,000 people with disabilities to enhance their employability and to pursue their aspirations. More than 7,000 Singaporeans have participated in its partners’ events to promote community inclusion for those with disabilities.

President Halimah Yacob, who graced the event, said that family members and caregivers are “an important group of people” who should be mentioned as well.

“I hope that with this new award, we will also continue to extend our utmost support to them, as they play a vital role in being pillars of support for their loved ones with disabilities,” added Mdm Halimah. 

“I also hope that more caregivers can step forward to share their experiences and support each other.”

Mediacorp CEO Tham Loke Kheng said: “The awards recognise people in our community who overcome great challenges to achieve remarkable things and demonstrate that people with disabilities across different fields are driving change, progress and positivity. 

“The awards are also an opportunity to celebrate the extended community of family members, carers and volunteers who support these achievers.”

Chairman of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards Evaluation Panel, Associate Professor Wong Meng Ee shares his thoughts on inclusivity in our society and the objectives of the Awards.