Special Needs Trust company

From the Special Needs Trust company – www.specialneedstrust.org.sg:

SNTC is the only non-profit trust company in Singapore set up to provide trust services for the benefit of persons with special needs.

The Insolvency and Public Trustee’s Office (“Public Trustee”) is entrusted to invest and manage the trust funds. SNTC will administer the funds according to a care plan, set out in a **Letter of Intent tailored to the needs of the Beneficiary under the trust.

SNTC is jointly supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and National Council of Social Service (NCSS).

**The Letter of Intent is a future care plan that sets out various aspects of the well being of the Beneficiary such as accommodation, daily living needs (food, clothing, transport etc), educational needs, employment and training needs, medical and dental needs, professional support needs and other areas of concern.

Related news: CNA story (13 Nov ‘09) “Company to help set up trust funds for special needs children in 2009“:

Dr Balakrishnan said: “This is a collaborative effort by MCYS, NCSS and the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS).

“This comes on the heels of a new law passed in September to allow Singaporeans to appoint someone to take care of matters before they become mentally incapacitated.

“Parents can tap on this change in the law to appoint a representative to make decisions for their intellectually disabled children.”

With the help of the company, parents can tailor a package to cover their children’s needs, like training and healthcare.

New small flats to have features for aged, disabled

This was first reported at AsiaOne Business, 30 Dec 2008:

The two-room flats that the Housing Board is building again will mainly be in non-mature estates and will come with elderly- and disabled-friendly features.

www.asiaone.com/Business/My%2BMoney/Property/Story/A1Story20081229-111084.html

Enhanced Open Door Fund for persons with disabilities

Reported at Channel News Asia (24 Oct ‘09):

… companies can use up to S$100,000 to implement job re-design and workplace modifications. And with the Enhanced Open Door Fund, firms can now take in persons with disabilities as apprentices under a funded apprenticeship programme before employing them.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said such arrangements allow them to focus on their abilities.

LINK

See also: Open Door Fund:

What is the Open Door Fund?
In July 2006, the ENABLE Fund was launched and it aimed to provide persons with disabilities equal opportunities to seek employment in the open market. The ENABLE Fund has been revised to allow more employers to tap the fund to employ persons with disabilities. With the revisions, the ENABLE Fund has been renamed The Open Door Fund. The Open Door was the theme of the 2006 Disability Awareness Public Education programme, organised by the National Council of Social Service.
www.mcys.gov.sg/MCDSFiles/Download/OpenDoorFund.html

Philippine call center to employ blind people only

From GMAnews.tv (15 Oct ‘09):

Next week, the Philippines will open its first ever call center that only employs blind persons, a milestone in the struggle of disabled people to cross the digital divide…

… Six totally blind, low vision and sighted graduates are currently being trained as trainors in Taipei, Taiwan, the headquarters of the the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC).

LINK

Singapore Police Force SMS service for persons with hearing/ speech impairment: 70999

Did you know that the Singapore Police Force has an Emergency Short Messaging Service (SMS) Helpline at 70999?

From the SPF webpage:

This service is similar to SPF’s existing emergency hotline (999), but is targeted at people with hearing and speech impairment. Members of the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired (DHS) community may experience difficulties in contacting emergency services using a mobile phone because they cannot hear the spoken words very well. Currently, it is not possible to send text messages to `999’. Therefore, Police have created a special number 70999 for text messages during emergency situations only.

SMS 70999 is only available to registered DHS members who have registered with NCSS via their voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs). To prevent abuse of the system, all unregistered text messages will be filtered out and an auto-generated message will be sent to the unregistered sender to inform him/her that this service is only for registered DHS members. They would be advised to call 999 or report their case at the nearest Police Station if they require police assistance or services.

Once an SMS is received from a registered user, Police operators would confirm if practicable, the nature of the incident or request for help with the user via SMS, before dispatching officers to the scene. If the incident requires fire or ambulance related services, Singapore Civil Defence Force would also be alerted. Registered DHS members would also be able to use an unregistered mobile number for this service by including their NRIC number in their message. This service is provided at no cost to the users. However, normal SMS rates will apply when messages are sent by the users.

SMS 70999 is currently available only to DHS members who have registered with the designated VWOs. DHS members who are not registered may register with the Centre for Enabled Living or the Singapore Association for the Deaf.

LINK – www.spf.gov.sg/sms70999/index.html

Lions World Sight Day

Learned about the World Sight Day from this CNA news report.

First, the CNA news report on “200 people screened for preventable blindness” (11 Oct ‘09):

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in Singapore. Other preventable causes of blindness here are cataract and glaucoma… … The World Health Organisation estimates there are 40 million blind people in the world and this number could double over the next 25 years.

LINK

Their report made me look up “World Sight Day” and that was how I learned of the Lions Club International and the World Sight Day:

For more than 11 years, Lions World Sight Day, held annually in October, has focused attention on eliminating preventable blindness and improving sight. On World Sight Day, Lions clubs around the world conduct special sight-related projects including:

• Collecting eyeglasses
• Conducting vision and diabetes screenings
• Planning educational programs to inform their communities about the importance of eye health – and diseases such as diabetes that can impair sight

More at the Lions World Sight Day page.

Centre for Enabled Living (CEL)

The Centre for Enabled Living (www.cel.sg) was launched on 15 Sept ‘09:

“The government aims to move towards a socially inclusive Singapore where persons needing care are provided the opportunity and support to remain integrated and contributing members of society,” said Minister Lim Boon Heng (Prime Minister’s Office). “CEL echoes this through its mission to engage, enable and enhance the lives of persons needing care and their caregivers by providing access to best-matched services and seamless care from the national support network.“

“CEL enables self reliance and independence of persons needing care and their caregivers by matching individual needs with available services and allowing them to make informed choices,” said Ms Lee Kwai Sem, Chief Executive of the Centre for Enabled Living. “This ensures that those truly in need of aid have access to the appropriate care, a better quality of life, are able to age in place and helps to prevent premature institutionalisation.”

LINK

From the About Page:

The Centre for Enabled Living Ltd (CEL) is a first-stop centre for persons needing care. It makes elderly and disability care programmes more accessible by centralising referrals and matching the specific needs of individuals. To further enable persons needing care to lead dignified lives, CEL aims to raise public awareness for a more inclusive environment and encourage greater social acceptance.

First set up in November 2008, CEL was conceived by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) as part of the national care network to coordinate care for persons needing care. CEL was also established in anticipation of the growing demand for eldercare services as well as the need to enhance the financial security of persons needing care and their caregivers.

In partnership with service providers, CEL is the first-stop centre for users of eldercare and disability services, offering information, resources and support to:
1. Persons needing care
2. Caregivers
3. Service providers and people working in the eldercare and disability care sector
4. The public at large and those seeking further insight into disability

As reported by the Straits Times (Friday, August 28, 2009):

“Say your father has been felled by a stroke, and you need information on how to get a wheelchair at a subsidized price and tips on how your maid can look after him.”

LINK

ISAD – International Stuttering Awareness Day, October 22

From the International Stuttering Association (ISA) website, announcing the 2009 programme:

International Stuttering Awareness Day Oct. 22nd 2009

Stuttering: More than a tangled tongue

People who stutter represent a diverse group of individuals with different occupations, diverse cultural identities, personal experiences and accomplishments. Although over 60 million people stutter, most people actually know very little about stuttering. This lack of awareness is how come people who stutter may face discrimination, prejudice and at times social isolation.

International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) occurs on October 22nd and is designed to raise awareness about the challenges that people who stutter experience. ISAD is a joint endeavor by persons who stutter and their families and professionals (educators, researchers and clinicians) interested in stuttering. ISAD provides a framework for building a more humane, just and compassionate world for millions of people who stutter

ISAD is co-sponsored and recognized by major international stuttering organizations such as International Stuttering Association; the International Fluency Association; European League of Stuttering Associations and American Speech-Hearing Association Division on Fluency and Fluency Disorders as well as national organizations which you can find on the International Stuttering Association website (www.stutterisa.org).

This year’s events include the twelfth annual online conference October 1 –22nd found by going to The Stuttering Home Page (www.stutteringhomepage.com) where participants can read papers by consumers and professionals from around the world and interact with the presenters during the three weeks the conference is “live.” Papers remain available online and all past conferences are archived. Other ISAD activities in the past have included people who stutter and professionals hosting an open house, advocating for a proclamation marking ISAD October 22nd or students talking in their class about stuttering.

2009 presents many challenges that face people who stutter such as economic recession, job loss or anxiety about employment or personal fulfillment. It is vital to create a society, in which people who stutter can develop talents, become advocates for better understanding and become active participants in their future. This year in particular there are many conferences or workshops held around the world. It is an opportunity to take personal steps in changing: you can go to www.isastutter.org for a listing of conferences you can attend.

LINK

Here’s their Facebook causes page: apps.facebook.com/causes/267261

Some resources/ agencies/ companies in Singapore that offer services for Stuttering (the list is not exhaustive; all sites were accessed on 20 Sept ‘09):

• Speech-Language and Hearing Association, Singapore (SHAS)
• Singapore General Hospital
• Tan Tock Seng Hospital
• KK Women’s and Children Hospital
• Mount Alvernia Hospital
• Communications For Life
• Speech Pathology Centre Pte Ltd
• Quantum Lip

UPDATE: More info posted at RamblingLibrarian.

Singapore swimmers win gold, silver at Asian Youth Para Games

From Channelnewsasia.com (12 Sept 09):
SINGAPORE: Singapore swimmers clinched a gold and silver at the Asian Youth Para Games in Tokyo on Saturday.

Paralympic gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu rewrote the world record for the 50m backstroke in the S3 category with a timing of 56.62 seconds.

Fellow swimmer Benson Tan clinched the silver medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke with a timing of 1 minute, 23.51 seconds.

Singapore’s current medal tally stands at two golds, one silver and one bronze.
LINK

S’pore to send 8 hearing impaired athletes to Deaflympic Games in Sept

From Channelnewsasia (29 Aug 09):

Singapore will send eight hearing impaired athletes to the 21st Deaflympic Games in Taipei next month…

… The Deaf Sports Team Singapore was formed in 2000 and has participated in two Deaflympics previously.

LINK