SINGAPORE — Singaporeans do not lack kindness or empathy, but awareness may fall short when it comes to forming an inclusive society where people with disabilities are counted, Nominated Member of Parliament Chia Yong Yong said on Monday (April 4).

Pointing out that able-bodied Singaporeans often find it hard to relate to the difficulties of those with disabilities, Ms Chia, who is herself a wheelchair-user, said: “We hope for you to be patient when we are slow entering the elevator; we don’t like to hold up others. We hope for you to be accommodating when we make strange, loud noises; we can’t control our muscles. We hope for you to give up your seat in the train; we feel bad for you, but our ankles are weak and we cannot stand for long.”

She also asked for more understanding from felllow citizens: “Be kind to my parents when I throw tantrums. It is not because they did not teach me well, I simply cannot comprehend my external environment. Please play with me. My legs are weak, but I still have a sense of adventure. Thank you for accepting me.”

Her speech in Parliament was met with applause from those present and drew praise from Speaker of the House Halimah Yacob.

Ms Chia, who is president of SPD (formerly named the Society for the Physically Disabled), and board member of SGEnable — an agency which empowers persons with disabilities and looks into job options for them — said that Singapore had come a long way, with now a “greater breadth and depth” in programmes geared towards taking care of vulnerable groups in society.

She lauded initiatives such as the opening of the Enabling Village — an all-access community space at Lengkok Bahru in Redhill which also provides opportunities for persons with disabilities to get mainstream jobs — as well as the recent enhancements to the wage credit scheme and special employment credit scheme.

To address the issue of awareness, Ms Chia suggested having a national education campaign so that the general population may understand this community more. She said: “Let our people know that there are disabilities they cannot see, cannot perceive, but those are the disabilities that are real and hurting. I ask that we understand, so that we are one. Only then can we build a country together. We will then have a caring and resilient society, and it matters not whether our society be rich or poor... We will all be rich.”