Groundwork and Storyblog by: Quan Sheng, Photos by: SUNDAC
*Names of SUN-DAC clients have been changed to preserve their anonymity
Thinking of Persons with disabilities (PWDs), most of us would have a certain perception, or preconceived notion of what it entails. Images of a wheelchair user, or a visually-impaired person, or perhaps a child with autism come to mind, to name a few. Very often, such perceptions are shaped by what we see and hear on the media – both online and offline - and thus based on a rather limited scope of information. It is indeed very rare for us, in our day-to-day lives, to have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with a PWD. When we do, general attitudes often range from one of sympathy - for their plight, apprehension - stemming from a fear of the unknown, and even stigma - especially so towards those with intellectual disabilities.
Personally, spending a morning at SUN-DAC (Upper Thomson) has been an eye-opening experience, challenging me to rethink certain perceptions I had of PWDs. The centre mostly serves clients with developmental disabilities - intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome, often times acting as a home away from home for many of them. I started the day with a certain apprehension - not knowing what to expect, wondering if they’ll be receptive to strangers (us!), and if we’ll be able to make conversation with them. These fears were largely unfounded, as I would find out later. Our very kind and friendly coordinator Magdelene made us feel comfortable and at home almost immediately, first getting to know us (and each other!) then introducing us to SUN-DAC, its purpose as well as the clients that they serve.
We were then split into different groups; Mervin and I followed a group of PWDs – 5 of them, along with 2 teachers and our minibus driver - on a trip to Sembawang Beach. As we got on the bus, it was immediately evident that the two teachers and our bus uncle were very close to each of the clients, even knowing their specific personalities, traits and habits. As the new faces on the bus, it was natural that the clients tend to be more shy and reserved towards us. The bus soon filled with the sounds of conversation, and Jacob, the most extroverted of the lot regaled everyone with stories of his recent overseas trips with his family, recounted a recent birthday celebration in SUN-DAC and could even list the birthdays of his fellow peers and teachers. There was Wei Ming, who was very shy around strangers but had a cheeky and mischievous streak, and often piped in with witty comments and jokes that got the van roaring with laughter.
One incident especially stood out to me, and that was when we introduced our names (which were printed on the lanyards we were wearing). Wei Ming started to come up with increasingly elaborate attempts to hide his name on the lanyard from us, including taking out the card inside and flipping it around, only to be foiled by us pointing out that we could still see his name on the card through the backlight from the glass window. His initial plan foiled, Wei Ming proceeded to use the seat belt to hide his name-lanyard from us, whilst smiling cheekily at us having accomplished his goal. The whole incident was pretty humorous for everyone involved, and it really endeared me to Wei Ming, who reminded me of my younger self – shy around, and afraid of telling new strangers my name.
The bus arrived at a secluded corner of the beach, and our little crew of 10 alighted, carrying an assortment of food and little bags, while Jacob volunteered to push James, who was wheelchair-bound, down to our picnic spot. I noticed how James was constantly looking around and curious about his surroundings. I bent down and smiled at him, at which point he grasped my hands. I wheeled him over to a shaded area overlooking the beach, after which he smiled and immediately grasped onto a railing in front of him. I later learned that grasping hands was James’ (who was non-verbal) way of communicating with others.
Most of the group eventually went down to the beach area after much encouragement from the teachers, where they enjoyed themselves thoroughly – letting the waves crash upon their feet, writing their names in the sand with a stick, or even simply running along the shoreline and looking at the footprints left behind, while the rest of us, along with James, looked down from the platform above. An especially heart-warming sight to see.
During the reflection session at the end of the day, as we recounted our experiences to the group, it was mentioned how caregivers are often fearful of bringing their wards out in public, for fear of societal stigma and uncomfortable glances from the general public. Very often, these short day-trips with SUN-DAC are the only times they go out in public, beyond the confines of home and the centre itself. We were presented with a few thought-provoking questions, but this one remains the most impactful: When we came into SUN-DAC in the morning, did we have certain expectations of interacting with PWDs? How did that expectation fare?
Throughout the few short hours we spent at SUN-DAC, my previous perceptions of PWDs, based on a limited diet of information, have been vastly changed through a short, but impactful binge of close, meaningful interaction. What really stood out to me was how each of them was just like you and I, with distinct personalities and traits, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, interests and hobbies and so on. In other words, the disability is only something that they have, rather than something that characterises, or defines who they are. I feel that knowing this distinction is very important, in order to take the first step in changing our perceptions of PWDs. Trying to replace a mindset of sympathy and asking “what can I do for them?” to a mindset of empathy, asking “what can we do together?” That is definitely a process, and something that doesn’t just happen overnight – personally, I’m still learning. Answering the question posed to us earlier, one of us put this sentiment very well into words: “To us, it is perhaps instinctive to look down upon PWDs with sympathy – seeing their disability as something preventing them from being fully ‘normal’ and happy. But to them, this is their ‘normal’. They too, are happy in their own way - it’s just a matter of perspective.”
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