By Micha Dasig, Teo Cai Xuan, and Nicole Lee.
Joel Ong, 24, has Pulmonary Stenosis, William Syndrome and is a Hemophilia carrier. Though so, nobody would imagine her donning on a waitress’ uniform and working in Olive Vine since she was 17 years old, where most would still be studying.
Her mother, Ms. Judith Halim, came over to Singapore from Indonesia when she was only 20 years old. With no stable financial support, the then-unborn Joel was her biggest worry.
The doctor was convinced that Joel would not live past three months old even with the aid of surgical procedures. Time was not on Ms. Judith’s side, and she had to give up Joel’s treatment. Searching for jobs in Singapore was not easy for her as well because she did not receive proper education back home in Indonesia.
“When I first started working in Singapore, my salary as a security guard was only $2.70 per hour,” Ms. Judith mentioned when asked her about some of her difficulties faced when she first arrived in Singapore. Her salary could only afford her one meal a day.
When Joel was a month old, she received the most unexpected news from her husband - that he thought their marriage could no longer work out. With that one call, he walked out on both mother and daughter. It was the darkest valley in Ms. Judith’s life and she felt that her entire world had caved in on her. At that point in time, she considered suicide with Joel as her only option as there seemed to be no way out of her life situation.
Things took a turn when she received a cold call from a Christian insurance agent which led her to seek out a church where she could belong and find hope. Fast forward a few years later, Ms. Judith married her present husband, Jason Ong, after meeting each other in church.
Today, Ms. Judith and Jason are entrepreneurs and founders of Olive Vine - a food and beverage company selling Western fusion cuisine where Joel currently works at.
“She (Joel) is now very all-rounded and well-balanced mentally and emotionally as she functions as a normal person on a daily basis. As there are not many options for special needs people in Singapore, we decided to nurture and train Joel by allowing her to learn the basics of customer service in Olive Vine,” Ms. Judith commented when asked about Joel.
“Even as a special child, Joel is able to adapt and integrate because she is always encouraged to ask questions and learn to understand what is happening around her,” mentioned Ms. Judith.
The parents are very supportive of what Joel can do within her own capacity. By interacting with the restaurant’s customers, it becomes an empowering experience for her - boosting her confidence and her knowledge in her daily work.
EXCELLENCE IN SCHOOL LIKE ANY OTHER CHILD
Mrs. Stella Ho, 51, a special needs teacher who taught Joel when she was in Secondary 4 has been in the industry for over 17 years. Mrs. Ho has mentioned that Joel was a model student, and commented that she was a diligent and bright student, which led her to nominate Joel to be school prefect.
After attending APSN, Joel found herself enjoying school and interacting with her peers. Today, Joel is able to take public transport by herself daily to and fro from home to work without any guidance.
Joel is one of the many success stories of how even when one may seem distant and disempowered, she can still give to the community.
“During Joel’s secondary school graduation, she was asked to perform a solo. she did a great job and thanked me for the opportunity to be on stage,” shared Mrs. Ho.
Giving more opportunities for these students to showcase their talent may help to find where their interest lies in other than vocational skills learned in schools. Mrs. Ho also mentioned that it is about giving them the opportunity for them to shine and boost their confidence. It can empower them to do other things as well such as learning something new or speaking up more.
Comparing today and 10 years ago, the government has played a big part in raising awareness to integrate students with special needs to the society by organizing events such as The Purple Parade which is Singapore's largest movement to support inclusion & celebrate abilities of persons with special needs.
Aside from focusing on the functionality of certain subjects, Mrs. Ho mentioned that there is not much difference in terms of how students are being taught in school - be it in a special or a mainstream school.
A STEP FURTHER: SOCIAL ENTERPRISES STEPPING UP TO HIRING PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
A survey done by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) in 2016 revealed that half of the people with disabilities saw themselves lacking autonomy in making big decisions in life and having control over their life. They surveyed 2,500 persons with physical disabilities and those recovering from mental conditions. It was found that “leading an independent life” was their top priority.
Being an inclusive society does not only mean we need to provide more facilities and opportunities for people with different levels of physical and mental abilities but also to intentionally integrate them into mainstream society and to let them have a sense of independence.
In May this year, Seeds Cafe was officially launched by the Rainbow Centre, a registered charity that trains and provides care for peoples with disabilities. This enterprise exposes students with special needs to the working world in the food and beverage industry, enabling them to have a glimpse of the working world and increasing their chances of employment after graduation.
Seeds Cafe which is led by Michael Maximus, 40, a Vocational Coordinator in Rainbow Centre, have students intern and work up to four hours a day where they are trained to take orders, brew coffee, make simple latte art and serve customers. Other than working in the cafe, the students are also trained in horticulture, painting, and photography according to their interests.
“One of the reasons we opened this café is to cater and to train to expose the students to the F&B environment so that they don’t have any fear of meeting people. This gets rid of their fear of meeting people to interact with people and to have a connection with the public,” shared Michael.
By providing a safe space for people of special needs just like what Ms. Judith and her husband did for Joel, it further empowers them in leading lives that are fulfilling with their own autonomy.
“They also need to be respected to be taken care of by the public and given a chance to be part of a normal human being in this world.” Mr. Michael shared.
With various help from the government, people with special needs are able to receive education and assistance to help them integrate into society and have a normal life. However, many might still view people with special needs negatively in our society.
Ms. Denise Phua, president of Autism Resource Centre, mentioned in a commentary that improving the landscape for disability cannot be the job of government alone. Much resources, mindset changes, and action plans have to come from the public and businesses.
People with special needs are no different from us and deserve equal opportunities as a Singaporean. It’s our choice whether to accept them into our society.
As a parent, Ms. Judith treats and love Joel just like any parent would do. “A special child is not a mistake. A special child is created to teach us compassion and true love,” shared Ms. Judith as she looked upon Joel with a smile.
“At least give them a place, a space of acceptance.”
Comments