WE REFER to the letters in my paper, 'Don't forget special- needs children in revamp' (Feb 3) and 'Thank you, MOE, for special-needs officers' (Feb 5).

Today, more light is being shed on children with special needs, and we applaud the efforts of the Government, voluntary welfare organisations, special- interest groups and individuals in bringing more attention to them.

In a society like ours where meritocracy is upheld, it is natural that those with greater ability are more valued.

Inclusivity and acceptance are the marks of a developed and gracious society, and it is to this end that Singapore is working towards.

Where better, then, to begin instilling the culture of inclusivity and acceptance than in our schools?

All children deserve equal opportunities for education, and all children can learn and benefit from them.

Putting children of different abilities together will encourage greater acceptance of differences and widen their perspectives.

At the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD), we encounter many children with physical disabilities.

Among them are those who excel in mainstream schools, who are fortunate enough to be given support and care. We also see non-disabled students benefiting from interaction with these students.

That is why through the SPD Education Programme, we strive to give all-round support to students with physical disabilities to help level the playing field for them in school so that they can make the most of their educational journey.

We work towards greater integration of these students in mainstream schools by offering financial assistance, tuition, social support, and enrichment classes.

Besides working directly with these students, we also try to establish partnerships with their networks, getting in touch with their schools and working with their principals and teachers to try to make their schools physically more accessible.

We hold talks for teachers and students to instil greater awareness of and understanding for students with physical disabilities in their midst.

Recently, we launched a Disability Resource Handbook for Teachers, which is given to all mainstream secondary and primary schools with physically-disabled students.

It is also available for downloading at www.spd.org.sg

The handbook is a guide with information on the more common physical disabilities among children and how to modify curricula and physical environments to accommodate students with physical disabilities in school, how to interact with them, the challenges they face and community resources available to help such students.

Schools interested to know more can contact us on 6579-0753.

All of us need some measure of support in order to excel in our individual capacities. So do these children.

As education is a necessity for them to arm themselves with the knowledge and skills for an enhanced future where they, too, can contribute to society, we hope to see them being included in government policies for compulsory education, so that they have equal opportunities for education.

At the same time, we hope to see more resources being utilised to ensure that all educators are equipped with at least some basic knowledge of dealing with children with special needs, including those with physical disabilities.

With this support, we look forward to the inclusion and acceptance of students with physical disabilities in our schools and, consequently, people with differing abilities in our society.

Ms Joyce Wong
Assistant Director
Rehabilitation Services
Society for the Physically
Disabled

For more my paper stories click here.