Speech by President Halimah Yacob at the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards Ceremony 2021

Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister

Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State For Social and Family Development and Education

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good afternoon. I am delighted to welcome all of you here at the Istana to witness a new group of outstanding individuals receiving the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards. Coincidentally, today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and hence a fitting occasion to pay tribute to Persons with Disabilities and their contributions to society.

Today, 13 inspiring individuals will join 29 past awardees in being recognised for their achievements and promise to pursue greater heights. Each of them has overcome many challenges and yet remains undaunted in their outlook and spirit. All of them have achieved what many may find difficult. Many are role models, going beyond their personal growth to mentor other people.

Take for example, Mr Lim Chin Heng, a pioneer in the field of education for deaf people in Singapore and currently a Math Resource Teacher at Beatty Secondary School. Born with profound hearing loss, Chin Heng has dedicated himself to improving the learning of deaf students.  After graduating with a degree in Mathematics from Gallaudet Graduate School in the US, he returned to Singapore in the mid-1970s and was instrumental in introducing various teaching key approaches and sign languages used in Singapore today. As a teacher of deaf people for more than 45 years, generations of deaf students have thrived under Chin Heng’s guidance and hold him in high regard as their role model and inspiration. Chin Heng was also deeply involved as a volunteer with the Singapore Association for the Deaf, holding key positions at various times throughout his 30 years of service. In 2016, Chin Heng was the Organising Chairman when Singapore hosted the 5th World Federation of the Deaf Asia Conference, a first for Singapore.

Another Achievement Awardee is Mr Richard Kuppusamy, who is an architect. A paraplegic born with spina bifida, Richard has three degrees in architecture and urban design. He has successfully practised as a professional architect in the UK for more than 11 years. As a Universal Design consultant, Richard uses both his personal experience as a person with disability and his professional architectural expertise to integrate the needs of persons with disabilities into the built environment. Upon his return to Singapore in 2012, Richard practised with acclaimed architecture firm WOHA, working on award-winning community projects such as the Enabling Village and Kampung Admiralty. Richard also led the Central Business District Accessibility Mapping Project, which helped to improve the accessibility of downtown Raffles Place.

Richard is also an active sportsman. He served as the captain of the Singapore Wheelchair Rugby team from 2016 to 2018. Richard is currently a senior executive leader of a digital venture business unit, leading a team of over 75 workers. He is also President of the Disabled People’s Association, and is part of the Steering Committee to develop the next Enabling Masterplan.

Last but not least, we have Dr Dawn-Joy Leong, a researcher & multi-disciplinary artist who has autism. Dawn’s work focuses on encouraging a deeper understanding and acceptance of disability in society while providing mentorship and professional opportunities for artists and researchers with disabilities. Dawn is the first Singaporean autistic researcher to serve in both the organising and scientific committees at the Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2019, where she was also the Plenary Speaker. Dawn further mentored emerging autistic adults to achieve excellence in their fields of practice. One of her mentees Mr James Chan, received the Goh Chok Tong Enable Award (UBS Promise) just last year! As Disability Access Advisor to PAssionArts Festival 2019 organised by People’s Association, Dawn ensured that mainstream artists would create art with access and inclusion in mind. It is her passion that helped place Singapore on the world map of autistic-led artworks and autism studies. Dawn has also published, performed, and exhibited her transdisciplinary work in Asia and Europe, and has been featured in multiple media networks in Australia and Singapore. 

Today’s recipients have showed us that there are no boundaries to what persons with disabilities can achieve. As a society, we can do more to support persons with disabilities in their integration into the wider community by removing prejudices and assumptions of their limitations. In this regard, I have always urged employers to play a key role in empowering persons with disabilities. I am heartened that since I launched the President’s Challenge Enabling Employment Pledge last year, more than 160 organisations have signed the pledge, affirming their commitment to inclusive hiring. There are also many companies that put their commitment to inclusive hiring into action. In August this year, I presented 88 organisations with the Enabling Mark – a national accreditation by SG Enable that benchmarks and recognises organisations for their best practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment.

Employers who wish to be more inclusive in their hiring can tap three programmes announced by the Ministry of Social and Family Development earlier this year. They are the Place-and-Train, Attach-and-Train, and Skills Development Programmes. These programmes provide persons with disabilities with enhanced support, including structured training, course fees subsidies and allowances. Employers will receive salary support from the Government for the placements of these persons with disabilities. They can also tap the Open Door Programme Job Redesign Grant to defray the cost of making workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities. I urge everyone to continue to strengthen our collective efforts to build a more inclusive society in employment and other aspects of life through the next Enabling Masterplan 2030. I encourage persons with disabilities and caregivers to share their hopes and aspirations for a more inclusive Singapore at the ongoing Enabling Masterplan consultations.

Let me conclude by thanking the key partners: Mediacorp, SG Enable, Tote Board and UBS, for making today’s celebrations possible.

Once again, congratulations to all 13 award recipients. Thank you for showing us that we can all make a difference, as long as we set our heart to it. I wish all of you every success and look forward to more of your inspirational achievements.

Thank you.