Club Foot treatment

My friend, Jude (and his wife), gave me permission to blog about this.

I spotted his Flickr photo-set labeled “Sophie’s club foot treatment“.

As Jude explains here:

Sophie was born with a left club foot – we’ve known this since the second trimester ultrasound. Treatment involves a series of casts to straighten her foot over a number of weeks, and at 6 weeks, there’ll be a corrective surgery and she may have to wear a leg brace for a while.

What keeps us optimistic is that the condition is supposedly easily treatable. And also, check out the following 2 individuals who were born with club feet: “Kristi Yamaguchi was born with a clubfoot, and went on to win figure skating gold in 1992. Soccer star Mia Hamm was born with the condition.”

I thought it would be relevant to blog about it because:

• His sharing, as a parent, might educate other parents of the importance for early treatment
• It’s still relatively rare to find parents who openly discuss such matters

I left this comment for Jude: “Thank you for educating me on this particular medical condition. Glad to know it’s treatable. Your sharing here, and the positive and constructive steps you’re taking to address the condition, is an inspiration in itself!“

Excerpt from a Special Needs education blog: EDU240

I discovered this blog by chance: edu240extension.blogspot.com

Though there’s no About page or descriptive header, I can tell the blog is part of some Special Needs education course for educators. This post mentions “Wheelock College” and “degree in Early Childhood”, and appears to be this programme (www.wheelock.edu/sing-np/about.asp; see also: www2.wheelock.edu/wheelock/Academics/International_Programs/Singapore.html)

The blog was created recently (Aug 09). So far, the posts are responses to this case study:

Having graduated from Wheelock College with a degree in Early Childhood, you are currently working as a Senior Teacher in a childcare centre and having the primary role of caring and managing toddlers. You have been with the centre for about a year.

Recently you met Mrs Kong, a lady in her 40s in the process of work. She is working as a secretary and has three children. Two of her children are currently in your centre, i.e. kindergarten and nursery. Seeing that you are the Toddler and Senior Teacher, Mrs Kong decided to approach you one day when she came by to fetch her two children. She disclosed that her third child, Nicky, is currently 1 year old and was diagnosed to have Down Syndrome…

… Mrs Kong shared that initially she and her husband had a tough time coming to terms to their child having Down Syndrome. Though they have more or less come to terms with the doctor’s diagnosis, she said that there are times where they do not really believe that Nicky has Down Syndrome as their two older children are normal and it seems that Nicky is always cheerful and smiling…

(a) What would you reveal to Mrs Kong regarding your professional view about children with Down Syndrome and their future in Singapore?

(b) Given the limited information provided, what would you advise Mrs Kong about:
(i) Enrolling Nicky into the centre’s toddler class;
(ii) Nicky’s diagnosis of having Down Syndrome.

(c) What would you disclose to Mrs Kong about special education, special school and inclusive education in Singapore?

LINK

As a layperson, reading that case study and the accompanying responses was pretty educational. The case study is fairly detailed and highlights what parents of children with Special Needs might be going through. Sharing the various responses is also a good way of tapping on the “wisdom of the class”.

I’m interested in what a “model response” might be.

I didn’t read though all the posts. But seemed to me most responses adopted the classic “pyramid” approach of giving background info before giving the actual answer that the other person wants to know. Some chose the empathy/ reassurance approach. That is still an indirect answer to me.

None of what I’ve read seems to have addressed the crux of the question: “Do I — the Special Needs educator — feel children with Down Syndrome have a future in Singapore?“

In fact, the main clue in the case seems to be this sentence: “Mrs Kong is very confused and overwhelmed with all these information.”

The last thing Mrs. Kong needs is more information. Her concerns needs to be addressed directly (tactfully, but head-on).

Seems to me this question is a trick question: “What would you reveal to Mrs Kong regarding your professional view about children with Down Syndrome and their future in Singapore?”

It boils down to what the individual Special Needs Educator believes.

Seems to me there can only be one answer (the difference is how it’s phrased according to one’s style).

I feel the answer is this:

Children with Down Syndrome have a future in Singapore.

This is what I believe.

That is why I am a Special Needs educator.

I felt this was a trick question because it has nothing to do with facts or figures. It’s all about one’s personal conviction about one’s own work. Whether we believe in the work that we do.

Of course, I’ll back up my statements by citing examples. Like how the Singapore government has recognised the need to take proactive steps wrt persons and young children with special needs, and many things have been put in place since the “Enabling Masterplan 2007-2011” (this Special Needs module is one, obviously).

But that’s just background information.

It’s ultimately that look in the eye — that surety in one’s voice — that will say it all to parents like Mrs Kong.

It’s not about bluster. Or how loud you say it.

I think it can only comes with one own’s rationalisation and decision to continue with the job. You can’t fake that sort of conviction.

And the same level of conviction applies to any job.

Our own blade runner

Story from health.asiaone.com (28 Jul 09), “Our own blade runner“, by Janice Tai.

About Singaporean Md Shariff Abdullah, who has a prosthetic leg and takes part in marathons.

He has had an artificial limb since he was five. Once he was fired from his job when his employer knew he was disabled. At one point, Md Shariff considered suicide but decided against it when he saw others in conditions worse than his.

He then saw a YouTube video of a Mr Pistorius, a double amputee world record holder in several sporting events.

Md Shariff was inspired to be the first prosthetic leg runner. He hopes to encourage others to join him.

Full story at health.asiaone.com/Health/Men%2527s%2BMatters/Story/A1Story20090723-156654.html

[NOTE: No hyperlinks provided, as per AsiaOne.com conditions of access. Although how enforceable is their condition against hyperlinking, I don't know. Since they prefer not to have direct traffic to their site, I'll respect that.]

Singapore opens first pan-disability IT training centre

From www.ida.gov.sg (1 Aug 08):

By 2010, up to 4,000 people with disabilities will pick up IT skills at Singapore’s first dedicated pan-disability training centre, which was officially opened by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, in July.

Known as the Infocomm Accessibility Centre (IA Centre, www.iacentre.org.sg), the 600 sq m facility is set within the premises of the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD). It comprises computer labs, training rooms and Asia’s first assistive technology loan library.

The opening of the IA Centre marks a significant step towards realising Singapore’s Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) vision of bridging the digital divide for people with disabilities. It also fulfills one of the key objectives of the 2007-2011 Enabling Masterplan for the Disability Sector – which is to equip disabled people with market-relevant skills to enhance their employability.

Made possible through people-public-private sector collaboration, the centre is being managed by the SPD. Among the corporate partners, Microsoft raised S$1 million towards the S$12.7 million needed for the set up and three years’ running costs. Public sector support came from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Council of Social Services and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).

“Through our support for the IA Centre, IDA hopes that people with disabilities can also enjoy easier access to infocomm as well as realise their career ambitions through the training provided by the centre,” said IDA’s Chief Executive Officer, RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay.

The centre is equipped with a range of computer accessibility tools that make it possible for those with physical, sensory and developmental disabilities to pick up basic computing skills like word processing and industry-relevant skills such as digital imaging and graphic design. These include large-key keyboards and communication devices using eye-tracking technology for those with physical disabilities, zoomtext software and Braille notetakers for the visually handicapped and sound amplifiers for the hearing impaired.

The training is customised to the special needs of the trainees, each of whom will have an individualised training plan based on prior personal assessment and appraisal.

After completing the IT course, those with the aptitude and capability may progress to the IT Apprenticeship Programme (ITAP). The IA Centre offers three tracks – corporate services, multimedia design, and music and video production. The intermediate level of the corporate services track will prepare trainees for certification from the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI).

Ranging from three months to one year, ITAP incorporates competency training, internship placements and engagement in commercial projects to prepare the trainees for employment in the open market.

In conjunction with the training courses, the IA Centre allows trainees to borrow computer accessibility tools and assistive technology devices from its loan library. In this way, trainees can try out these tools before purchase or borrow them when their own equipment is sent for servicing or repair.

LINK

ASEAN Para Games Coming to Malaysia

From the International Paralympic Committee website, 23 Jul 09:

The fifth ASEAN Para Games are on many athletes’ calendars in Southeast Asia this summer, taking place from 15-19 August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where about 1,200 athletes and officials will be part of the big event.

Considered the biggest multi-sports and multi-disability sporting event for athletes with a disability in the ASEAN region, the ASEAN Para Games have been organized every two years since the formation of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF) in 2001. A total of ten APSF members plus Timor Leste will be participating in the Games this year.

Many Paralympic sports are on the programme this year, including Athletics, Powerlifting, Sailing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis. Top venues around the town are expected to have filled seats, as the athletes will show the audience what they have been training for the past months.

For 2009, participating countries will include Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Timor Leste. The official Opening and Closing Ceremonies will take place at the Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, with several distinguished guests attending in support of the event.

The vision of the 5th ASEAN Para Games is “United, inspired and enlightened in body, mind and spirit by its passion for the Para Games and the excitement displayed by the Paralympic athletes recognizing the rights and the aspirations of the disabled in sports and in life, effectively contributing to the ASEAN dream”.

The first ASEAN Para Games were also held in Kuala Lumpur from 25-30 October 2001 and were the initial major sports event of the APSF. The following Games were held two years later in Hanoi, Vietnam, in December, with subsequent Games in Manila, Philippines, and Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, respectively.

Sanctioned events by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) include Athletics, Swimming and Powerlifting.

For more information about the upcoming ASEAN Para Games, please visit www.aseanparagameskl09.org.my.

LINK

Media release: NLB’s Mobile Library Service Reaches 58,000 Users Since Launch in 2008

From www.nlb.gov.sg:

NLB’s Mobile Library Service Reaches 58,000 Users Since Launch in 2008
Release Date : 23 Jul 2009

Special needs children help to write a series of attractive storybooks to celebrate this milestone

SINGAPORE, 23 July 2009 – The National Library Board’s (NLB) prototype new generation wireless mobile library service named “Molly, the Mobile Library” celebrated its first anniversary today at the National Library Building. Graced by Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, the anniversary also marked a significant milestone for the mobile library service, which first began in the 1960s.

Since the launch of the prototype in April 2008, Molly has made significant achievements, including reaching out to 58,000 people resulting in 75,000 loans. Close to 1,400 people have also signed up as library users. Through facilitation sessions by NLB librarians, as many as 185 programmes, including storytelling and library workshops, and user education sessions have also been conducted as part of Molly’s initiatives.

Making a comeback last April after the service was discontinued in the 1990s, the purpose of Molly is to reach out to the underserved groups and encourage these potential patrons to become active users of public libraries in the long run, as part of their lifelong learning journey.

Molly also uses 3.5G and RFID technology for transactions onboard the bus using equipment that can be typically found at the public libraries such as the borrowing stations and the e-Kiosks.

A true Singapore inspiration: Dr. William Tan

ST Medical Correspondent, Ms. Salma Khalik, writes how she’s impressed by Dr William Tan’s honesty and love of life. From blogs.straitstimes.com (13 Jul 09):

MY ADMIRATION for Dr William Tan has grown immensely since my meetings with him following his diagnosis of leukaemia.

He was already a pretty heroic figure — someone who had put Singapore on the map with his super-human feats — such as being the first to complete a marathon at the North Pole on a wheelchair.

He is also intelligent: a neuroscientist and medical doctor, a Fulbright scholar, among his academic successes…

… In the past, he has shown that a physical disability cannot stop a good man. He gives inspirational talks around the world. People sit up and listen to him, because of his achievements in spite of his paralysis.

He has already done much good. But perhaps the best is yet to come.

In how he fights his cancer, William could be a model for other cancer victims: don’t take it lying down, fight it till the very end.

As he said, once he has decided on a course, there is no turning back, no matter how tough the going gets.

LINK

Bull’s eye for blind archers

From The Straits Times, 7 Jul 09:

THEY are legally blind, but two competitors stunned the field at a recent archery meet by being bang on target and grabbing third and fourth spots.

For the pair, Mr Ken Wong, 61, and Mr William Hiu, 55, the achievement was the latest in a string of impressive performances that have left sighted competitors slack-jawed.

In their latest success, Mr Wong and Mr Hiu went up against other disabled – but sighted – competitors in a face-off organised by the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) on June 13.

LINK

Northwest CDC Wheelchair Sharing Scheme

From the Northwest Community Development Council (NW CDC) website:

Wheelchair Sharing Scheme

Needy residents in the North West District who require short-term wheelchair assistance can look forward to a new scheme launched by the North West ComCare Local Network (CLN). The first-ever district-level Wheelchair Sharing Scheme was launched on Sunday, 14 September 2008.

Through the North West CLN, the North West CDC will be partnering the Grassroots Organisations (GROs) in the North West District, Bo Tien Day Activity Centre, Sree Narayana Mission, Fei Yue Neighbourhood Link and Sunlove-Marsiling Neighbourhood Link to administer this Scheme.

[Information last accessed on 4 Jul 09]
LINK

Eight organisations and contact details listed on the NW CDC page.

Also reported at 938LIVE (Sept 08).

Accessibility on Singapore Government websites

Coleman Yee blogs about web accessibility (or the lack of) in response to this IDA reply on the level of access for persons with disability at (Singapore) e-govt websites:

What is website accessibility

For those who are not familiar with web accessibility, it’s simply about making a website accessible or usable or “viewable” by different web browsers and devices, and thus accessible by the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities.

For instance, an accessible website would be usable by a screen reader, a special software that reads aloud what’s on the screen and browser, thus enabling a blind person to access that website.

Website accessibility is thus often associated with making a website accessible to users with disabilities, particularly the blind.

Conversely, if a blind user cannot access certain information on a website using a screen reader, that website is considered not accessible.

Web accessibility is also about access by devices like mobile phone browsers, or even browsers other than Internet Explorer like Firefox, Safari, or Opera.

The accessibility of Singapore Government websites
When you surf around Singapore Government websites on a non-Internet Explorer browser, you sometimes encounter a message telling you that you can’t continue unless you’re using Internet Explorer.

That’s not an accessible website.

Whole populations of Singaporeans are being excluded from such online government services simply because they use a Mac instead of a PC, or because they don’t wish to use (the technically inferior) Internet Explorer.

And we’re not even talking about access by small screen devices like mobile phones, or access by disabled users. The situation is far worse for them.

LINK