MICA (P) 129/02/2011 Issue No. 2/2011 - MINDS

MICA (P) 129/02/2011 Issue No. 2/2011

MINDS’ Vision 

To be a world-class voluntary welfare 

organisation that advances the 

development, well-being and aspirations 

of persons with intellectual disability and 

their integration into society 

CONTENTS 

MINDS Headquarters 

800 Margaret Drive 

Singapore 149310 

Tel: 6479 5655 Fax: 6479 0706 

Website: www.minds.org.sg 

MINDS Centres 

Idea Employment Development Centre 

29 Rosyth Road, Singapore 546190 

Tel: 6282 4852 Fax: 6280 5078 

SIA-MINDS Employment 

Development Centre 

800 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149310 

Tel: 6473 1148 Fax: 6473 3885 

Woodlands Employment 

Development Centre 

30 Woodlands Ring Road, #01-02 


Tel: 6366 3966 Fax: 6366 7422 

Ang Mo Kio Training 

& Development Centre 

Blk 134 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1677 


Tel: 6456 4174 Fax: 6456 0570 

Clementi Training 

& Development Centre 

Blk 304 Clementi Ave 4, #01-487 


Tel: 6776 8743 Fax: 6776 8741 

Napiri Training & Development Centre 

7 Lorong Napiri, Singapore 547533 

Tel: 6387 7662 Fax: 6387 3357 

MINDS Special Education Schools 

Fernvale Gardens School 

7 Fernvale Road, Singapore 797635 

Tel: 6481 6697 Fax: 6483 2631 

Lee Kong Chian Gardens School 

802 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149311 

Tel: 6473 8332 Fax: 6473 4776 

Towner Gardens School 

1B Lengkong Lima, Singapore 417557 

Tel: 6446 2612 Fax: 6243 7498 

Woodlands Gardens School 

30 Woodlands Ring Road, #01-01 


Tel: 6468 0566 Fax: 6468 2142 

MINDS Home & Hostel / Group Home 

MINDSville@Napiri 

7 Lorong Napiri 


Tel: 6387 7662 Fax: 6387 3357 

MINDS Social Enterprise 

800 Margaret Drive 


Tel: 6473 7512 (ext.244) 

Fax: 6473 0831 

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Message from the CEO 

Beginning the year with a “GONG”! 

All Onboard ‘USS’ – The Prequel 

All Onboard ‘USS’ – The Sequel 

When Health Matters 

SATA Health Screening Day 2011 

Inaugural Overseas trip to Pengerang 

FGS Recycling Outreach Program 

Making My Vote Count 

An exclusive feature on Persons with Intellectual Disability 

and their voting experience at General Elections 2011 

This-Ability Sports Carnival 2011 

Food For Thought 

The incredible story of service development 

at MINDS Food, SMEDC 

A Project Dignity Initiative 

iReflect ~ Learning to sign and making a difference 

An initiative by the Allied Health Professionals Hub 

– Common Signing Project Team 

On our Coverpage and Rear Page 

Advisory Committee 

The Public Relations, Education & Communications Committee 

Chairman: Boo Chong Han 

Members: Doreen Yap | Daniel Tan | Keh Eng Song | Brenda Lee 

Editorial Committee 

Advisors: Keh Eng Song / Jeannie Ho 

Editor: Brenda Lee 

Members: Anthony Tan / Sharon Ng / Josephine Ong / Suzana Soo / Chao Ye Peng / Prema 

Thevarajah / Ng Mun Wai / Stephen Shi / Koh Gee May / Ling Chong Beng / Rose Kwek / 

Rosalyn Peng / Shafiyah Sarwan / Mike Koh / Mimi Tan / Gerald Ng 

MINDSpeak is published by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore 

(MINDS). 

Designed and printed by adamsapple. 

© Copyright is held by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any 

forms or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recordings or otherwise, without prior 

written permission of the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not 

necessarily reflect those of publisher.

MESSAGE 

FROM THE CEO 

Many corporate friends continued to bring joy to our clients. The Energy Market 

Company celebrated the Chinese New Year with our ATDC clients while Bacardi- 

Martini Singapore Pte Ltd brought the ATDC clients to Universal Studios at 

Sentosa Resorts World. Students from Towner Gardens School were similarly invited to visit 

the Universal Studios. We thank our partners for the wonderful gesture that made the day 

for many of our clients. We take the opportunity to also thank Mr Koh Seng Choon, founder 

and Executive Director of Project Dignity, for inviting our clients from the EDCs and TDCs for 

sponsored lunches at his Balestier hawker training centre. 

Going for an overseas holiday may not be such a big deal for some families, but for our clients from CTDC, it was a 

first overseas trip organized by the Centre to Pengerang in the nearby Johor Bahru. It was a good opportunity for the 

clients to generalize the skills learnt in the Centre, such as making decision, practising dining etiquette and waiting in 

queue. 

About 97 clients from our three TDCs congregated at MINDSville@Napiri on a Thursday in March for a health screening 

conducted by SATA. On hand to assist were staff and some caregivers to guide the clients through the various 

screening stations. A group of volunteer doctors subsequently reviewed the screening results with the caregivers 

who raised their concerns as well as showed their appreciation for such an exercise. We are looking forward to the 

volunteer doctors extending their service to our clients from the other adult centres. 

MINDS is proud to have played a part in raising awareness on recycling. Fernvale Gardens School received a 

silver medal for the Recycling Outreach Programme supported by the National Environment Agency. This was after 

three consecutive Sustained Achievement Awards in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Activities were organized to educate 

the students and their families on climate change during Earth Hour. Earth Day was celebrated with talks and 

presentations on pollution and conservation. The next time you are in Fernvale Gardens School, check out the Pledge 

Tree to see what staff have pledged to be more “green”. 

The 7 May 2011 General Election saw some of our clients from MINDS adult centres exercising their rights to vote as a 

Singapore citizen. Find out what considerations they had in casting their votes for the political party and candidates to 

serve them in their constituencies. 

What started out as an initiative to satisfy the demand for breakfast to be sold in the SMEDC canteen for some staff 

and clients has turned out to be more than just that. The unexpected outcomes achieved by our clients has once 

again demonstrated their abilities if given the opportunity and right coaching. I hope “Food for Thought” by Faridah 

will inspire many more such initiatives for the benefit of our clients. 

Read about an exciting pilot project taking place at our Lee Kong Chian Gardens School. The Common Signing 

Project aims to align communication methods across MINDS schools and adult centres and between home and the 

schools/centres. Mooted in 2008, the project is undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of allied health professionals. 

Key Word Signing and Gesture, or commonly known as Makaton, has been around since 1970s and is used in over 

40 countries. MINDS hopes to implement this not to replace speech, but rather as a total communication approach to 

enhance our quality service delivery. 

One of our major upcoming events is the MINDS Concert featuring performances by our student and clients. It will 

be held on 14 and 15 of October this year. Look out for more news on this in the coming months. Meanwhile, happy 

reading. 

Mr Keh Eng Song 

Chief Executive Officer 

MINDS 

mindspeak: the heartvoice of special people 1

► SMEDC’s performance group and their enormous dragon prop 

BEGINNING 

THE YEAR WITH 

A “GONG”! 

Text by: Issac Loh Yong Chun, 

Assistant Training Officer 

Photos by: ATDC 

ushered in Chinese 

ATDC New Year on 16 

February 2011 with a hearty celebration 

organised for the centre’s trainees and 

caregivers. In attendance was corporate 

donor Energy Market Company 

(EMC) and Mr Keh Eng Song, CEO of 

MINDS. The centre invited SIA-MINDS 

Employment Development Centre’s 

(SMEDC) MINDS Perform troupe to 

entertain the crowd with a fascinating 

Dragon Dance repertoire. 

The event was made all the more special 

when CEO of EMC, Mr Dave Carlson 

was invited to preside over the ribboncutting 

ceremony and thereafter, hang 

up a “Rabbit” wall clock created by the 

artistic and enthusiastic staff at ATDC. 

Following the ceremony, there were 

more joyous performances (singing 

and dancing) performed by clients from 

SMEDC. Energised, the clients move to 

the Multi-Purpose Hall and played some 

fun tele-match games. 

After the fun and games, everybody 

proceeded to a luncheon sponsored by 

EMC. The clients had an enjoyable time 

at the nearby MacDonald’s! Indeed, this 

was a great start to the New Year. 

► Guests enjoying the day’s festivities 

► Chiming in the year of the Rabbit! 

► Mr Dave Carlson, CEO of Energy Market Company 

decked in lucky colour ‘red’ 

► I’m lovin’ it 

2 mindspeak: the heartvoice of special people

ALL ONBOARD 

‘USS’ 

- THE PREQUEL 

Text by: Nganambal d/o Seenivasan, 

Assistant Training Officer 

Photos by: ATDC 

On 31 January 2011, ATDC clients, 

staff and caregivers went on 

a tour organised by Bacardi- 

Martini Singapore Pte Ltd to Universal 

Studios Singapore. Besides donating 

the tickets, Bacardi-Martini Pte Ltd also 

sponsored the t-shirts, transportation 

and meals for our clients. 

It was drizzling when everyone alighted 

at Universal Studios, but this did not 

dampen the spirits of our clients. The 

entire group was excited to see the 

sights and experience the magic. It was 

also heartwarming to see how the staff 

at Bacardi-Martini took great pains to 

ensure that our clients were safe and 

comfortable. 

First up, the group entered a theatre to 

watch a live show performed by young 

professional entertainers who donned 

colourful outfits and did many stunts. 

Their acrobatics and charisma drew a lot 

of attention and wowed the crowds. At 

the end of their repertoire, the audience 

burst into a thunderous applause. 

After the show, the group went for a 

hearty meal. Once the group stepped 

out of the restaurant and into the streets, 

they were greeted by a group of mascots 

and high-energy teenage entertainers 

who danced and pranced with such 

skill and coordination, it left the crowd 

wanting for more. 

Once again, this set of entertainers did 

not disappoint as the crowd cheered 

and clapped loudly at the end of their 

performance. It became even more 

exciting when they invited our clients to 

learn a few steps with them. 

The staff at Bacardi-Martini also snapped 

photos of clients at their favourite 

amusement park spots and developed 

them on-site for the caregivers who 

were there. The caregivers were very 

appreciative and happy. 

At the end of the tour, each client was 

given a goodie bag from the sponsor. 

ATDC would like to thank Bacardi- 

Martini Singapore Pte Ltd for their the 

generous support and the contributions 

to this happy day. 

► Eager and excited clients don their 

matching shirts and handy raincoat 

► Seating at the sidewalk of a very busy road 

► Funky street performers got the 

crowd hyped up 

► Beautiful day, wonderful company 


Today, we are going to 

share with you about our 

experience at Singapore’s 

Universal Studios. On 9 

February, some senior 

students were invited to 

visit Universal Studios. 

As you will see, we really 

enjoyed our adventures 

there! 

We also tried the 

Junior roller coaster 

at Shrek and Princess 

Fiona’s castle in the 

Land of Far Far Away. 

We took a 

group photo 

here! 

Look! We were 

very excited! 

ALL ONBOARD 

‘USS’ 

- THE SEQUEL 

Text by: Jeanie Morgan, 

Senior Teacher 

Photos by: Adeline Ong Peik Choo, 

Senior Teacher & 

Agnes Sim, Teacher 

Earlier this year, a group of senior students from Towner Gardens School (TGS) 

received a special invitation to visit Universal Studios Singapore (USS) at 

Resorts World Sentosa. 

Two of our senior level students, Jina and You Hock, recounted their delightful 

adventures during an oral presentation at a recent school assembly. Be it a talking 

donkey in the Land of Far Far Away and jungle fun in Madagascar to encounters 

in ancient Egypt or strolling along a New York sidewalk to soak up the glamour of 

Hollywood Boulevard, one thing’s for sure – these lucky students had the time of 

their life at USS! The following is the original, uncut version (well, almost!) of their 

recount, presented here as a photo story. 


We all wore special 

glasses for the 4-D movie. 

As the chair moved, Jina 

was so scared that she 

cried and held on to her 

teacher very tightly! 

Some of our 

friends loved the 

jungle fun on 

the Madagascar 

merry-go-round... 

Our friends Kok 

Qin and Norman 

enjoyed the Shrek 

4-D Movie... 

The fun just 

never stops! 

See! My friend Si Hui 

was so happy after the 

Jurassic Park Rapids 

Adventure ride! 


WHEN HEALTH 

MATTERS 

SATA Health Screening Day 2011 

Text by: Mdm Shafiyah Ahmad Sarwan, Head of CTDC 

& Ms Thant Thant Myo, Healthcare Consultant for 

MINDS Medicare 

Photos by: CTDC & MINDS Medicare 

The Health Screening by the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis 

Association (SATA) for MINDS Training & Development 

Centre (TDC) trainees was held on 10 March 2011 at 

MINDSville@Napiri. SATA offered the basic Health Screening 

Package at a subsidized rate of ten dollars per client (paid by 

the trainee’s family). The basic package includes a Chest X-ray, 

BMI screening, Blood Pressure measurement, Fasting Blood 

Glucose (venous) and Lipid Profile (venous) screenings. 

Approximately 97 trainees from MINDS’ three TDCs (Ang Mo 

Kio TDC, Clementi TDC and Napiri TDC) participated in this 

health screening exercise. The screening process was relatively 

smooth-going as there was much cooperation and support 

given by the three TDCs’ staff as well as a few caregivers. 

Although it was slightly challenging when it came time for our 

trainees to participate in an unfamiliar routine such as being 

examined at different screening stations, they listened and 

cooperated with the medical team. 

Following the health screening in March, families of trainees 

who received the health screening results and desired to 

gather more information were invited once again to MV. MINDS 

Medicare and a group of volunteer doctors organized yet 

another screening for the TDC trainees at MV on 9 April 2011. 


► Caregiver consulted with volunteer medical doctor regarding client’s medical condition 

Volunteer doctors gave advice and conducted several rounds of 

health screening for trainees. Caregivers who consulted these 

volunteer doctors regarding the trainees ‘medical conditions 

were educated on common health problems encountered 

by Persons with Intellectual Disability (PWIDs). The doctors 

then proceeded to provide memo and referral letters for future 

follow-up. 

The screening offered caregivers an opportunity to ask 

healthcare professionals important medical questions; laying 

at ease some apprehension. Needless to say, the whole day 

went smoothly and these caregivers were impressed with the 

services provided by these volunteer medical doctors. The 

volunteer doctors themselves felt that the experience was 

beneficial as they learnt more about MINDS and the nature 

of healthcare of PWIDs. We would like to say ‘Thank You’ 

to these volunteer medical doctors for their willingness and 

contribution to a great cause. 

► General examination done by one of Volunteer Medical doctors 


► Reaching the Woodlands Checkpoint 

INAUGURAL 

OVERSEAS 

TRIP TO 

PENGERANG 

Text by: Ms Salina Ismail, Supervisor, CTDC 

Photos by: Mdm Shafiyah, Head of CTDC 

On 26 February 2011, 15 trainees, seven caregivers 

and 16 staff from Clementi Training & Development 

Centre (CTDC) embarked on a maiden voyage 

across the straits of Malacca into Malaysia. There was much 

excitement and anticipation generated as this was the centre’s 

first overseas trip together. The centre picked the quaint town 

of Pengerang in Johor Bahru (JB) as their destination for this 

one day excursion. 

The group left Singapore at 7:30am and travelled by coach 

into JB. Upon entering JB, the group headed straight for a 

hearty breakfast at a food centre. It was heart warming to see 

the trainees freely deciding on what they wanted to have and 

then proceeding to buy their own meals. After breakfast, the 

tour started with a visit to a chocolate factory. The trainees 

listened intently as the sales staff explained the chocolatemaking 

process to them. They were happy to sample and buy 

the chocolate. 

Next, they came into contact with some ‘feathery friends’ 

whilst visiting an Ostrich Farm. You could tell by the look on 

our trainees that the ostriches were an eye-opening experience 

to some. Afterwards, the group went to the Desaru Fruit 

Farm where they visited a plantation and were acquainted 

with agricultural processes and produce. Following that, the 

trainees dropped by Jusco Shopping Centre where they were 

given room to make purchases of simple food items and 

souvenirs. The biggest highlight in the trip was the delicious 

seafood lunch and dinner the trainees had at a restaurant. 

The Training Officers used the opportunity to reinforce proper 

dining etiquette as well, whilst the trainees lavished themselves 

on lobster. 

The challenging part of the trip was when the group had to wait in 

line for their passports to be stamped at the Immigration Check 

Point. The trainees seemed restless and a little uncomfortable 

as they had just alighted after a long journey and have to wait 

in a long queue amongst a big crowd of people. However, 

even in that challenging situation, good things sprung out of 

it. The use of public facilities was particularly a good learning 

experience for our trainees. For staff, it was nice spending one 

on one time with the trainees in a different environment and it 

was certainly a wonderful achievement and experience for the 

entire centre. 

► Admiring the beauty and tranquillity of the fruit farm 

► Taking a group photo at the chocolate factory 


FGS 

RECYCLING 

OUTREACH PROGRAM 

Text by: Vivekanandan, Teacher 

Photos by: Jacob Kwek Thiam Chye, Teacher 

Fernvale Gardens School (FGS) is proud to receive a silver 

medal on 19 February 2011 for the Recycling Outreach 

Programme, supported by National Environment 

Agency. This follows the Sustained Achievement Award for 

the years following 2008, 2009 and 2010. The programme 

requires schools to reach out to their school and neighbouring 

community for the purpose of raising awareness on recycling. 

► Recycling corner complete with recycling bins and a board updated 

with photographs of the school ROP recent programs, reports of events 

and decorated with various NEA messages/slogans to make it more 

attractive 

Some of the activities tied to the recycling programme in FGS 

included celebrating Earth Day (and Earth Hour), incorporating 

the importance of recycling and pollution in the curriculum, 

installing recycling bins in every classroom, and many other 

conservation initiatives. 

Earth Hour was celebrated during a specific assembly where 

the message of climate change was conveyed to the students 

and their families. Following that, FGS Earth Day Celebration 

was held on 23 April 2010. There were also talks and 

presentations on pollution, conservation, animal welfare and 

even quizzes. Other activities included lively performances by 

► Mr Dan receiving the award on the school’s behalf 

our pupils and interactive games. The games were strategic in 

nature; students had to sort different materials into the correct 

recycling bins. 

The importance of conservation also manifested itself in other 

initiatives. Firstly, Art and Craft lessons were conducted using 

recyclable materials such as toilet paper rolls, cardboard, 

foam boxes, egg cartons and paper plates. Pupils used these 

materials to make cards, picture frames and letter holders. An 

interactive Recycling Corner board was set up and the board 

was updated with photographs of FGS’ recent Recycling 

Outreach Programmes (ROP) and slogans on conservation. 

FGS also created a Pledge Tree where pledges to be more 

‘green’ were written on “leaves” by staff at the beginning of 

the year and pasted on the Pledge Tree. Rain water was also 

collected for the purpose of watering the plants around the 

school. To reduce heat emission, more plants were placed 

around the school premises. Posters on recycling were also 

displayed in the staff room and around the school as a reminder 

on the importance of conservation. 

FGS staff also did their part by pledging to use paper wisely 

at the photocopier. Teachers were encouraged to print on both 

sides of the paper when preparing worksheets for students. 

FGS is fortunate that the ROP Project is fully supported by the 

Principal and Vice-Principal as well as the unrelenting efforts 

of its entire staff. 


MAKING MY 

VOTE 

COUNT 

An exclusive feature on Persons with Intellectual 

Disability and their voting experience at General 

Elections 2011 

Text by: Fiona Tng, Training Officer 

Photos by: IEDC 

The Singapore General Election (GE) was held on 7th May 

2011. To the 2.21 million electorate, it was a decision that 

required marked consideration and thought process as 

Singaporeans decided on the candidates that would ultimately 

impact their lives. As long as one was a Singapore citizen past 

the age of 21, regardless of race, language or ability, one was 

given the right to vote. 

This voting privilege was exercised by some clients in IDEA 

Employment Development Centre (IEDC). And although this 

occurrence is not representative across the board, it was 

nonetheless, trailblazing! The process that led up to these 

clients’ decision proved that they have a considerable level of 

competency in determining what they felt was best for them 

and their nation. This is truly commendable. 

During an interview for this article, these clients shared a 

variety of motivations behind their decision-making and party 

of choice. Aspirations on earning better salaries were sound 

out. Estate maintenance and upgrading was also addressed. 

Particularly if estates and lifts would are cleaned and the 

desire to have new lifts installed at their HDB blocks. Other 

views included the desire to have increased frequency of bus 

and MRT services throughout Singapore. This emerged from 

clients’ experiences in travelling to their centres independently, 

via the public transportation system. 

In the run up to Polling Day (7 May 2011), an IEDC client, 

Nuriman and his family attended 4 rallies both by the People’s 

Action Party (PAP) and the opposition parties. Mr Kamal, 

Nuriman’s father felt it was important for his son to have a 

balanced perspective. 

They were keen for him to be kept abreast of the latest 

developments in current affairs in order for Nuriman to make 

an informed decision. When polling closed, the family went 

and waited at Bedok stadium (the assembly centre for their 

GRC) to obtain first hand information of the election results. Mr 

Kamal said that Nuriman and the family stayed till 5.30am. 

Another IEDC client, Loh Jiun Long, shared his experience in 

voting at GE 2011. In fact, this was Jiun Long’s second time to 

vote. In his own words, he said that it was a more challenging 

► Nuriman on the right with his pro-active and supportive family 


experience because he heard so much “rumours” (“yao yan”) 

particularly from people at neighbouring coffee shops and 

even while he’s commuting (Jiun Long takes public transport 

independently). 

Although he did not attend the rallies, he relied on the 

Mandarin newspapers and watched the television to obtain 

more information. Jiun Long’s father commented that his son 

was knowledgeable and eager for information on the election. 

He was able to point out the different constituencies, its 

candidates and pertinent information on the poll card. 

For such a sophiscated voter like Jiun Long, he indicated the 

decision making posed such a headache (“ 伤脑筋 shang nao 

jin”) for him. He factored in a number of issues including the 

past track records of the candidate. This helped him arrive at 

a decision to see if the party was “suitable” (“ 适合 shi he”) in 

helping him and his neighbourhood. 

On the day of polling, he felt proud to be able to go through 

the process of queuing up and selecting the party of his choice 

despite being temporarily separated from his parents as they 

were in different queues. He said, “I followed the person in 

front of me to understand the process and put a cross on the 

party who I think can help me. I think it is a secret that is why I 

needed to fold the ballot slip before putting into the box.” 

He said he was happy and felt it was important to vote 

because not all his friends had the opportunity. He asked the 

interviewer (“ 我们这种人不应该投票吗 ?Wo men zhe 

zhong ren bu ying gai tou piao ma?”) When asked to elaborate 

why he harboured such thoughts even though he previously 

related the importance of voting during our interview, he 

► Proud voter: Loh Jiun Long 

added that his friend, another client, did not feel competent 

to do so. Jiun Long’s father said that he stayed up till the wee 

hours of Sunday (8 May 2011) to watch the results of the poll. 

Jiun Long’s father is proud of his son’s ability to arrive at the 

decision of his choice and become a contributing citizen of 

Singapore. Jiun Long looks forward to voting in five years’ 

time. 

~ No part of this article shall be reproduced/published in or any 

other print media and/or any electronic form. The article is only 

intended for MINDSpeak ~ 


THIS-ABILITY 

SPORTS CARNIVAL 2011 

Text by: Mary Xavier, Training Officer 

Photos by: NTDC 

► Yes...that’s right, through the hole! 

To kick start the year 2011 with joie vivre, The Singapore 

Disability Sports Council (SDSC) organized its first 

This-Ability Sports Carnival. It was held on 5 March 

2011 at Toa Payoh Stadium. There was an opening speech by 

SDSC President, Mr Frankie Thanapal Sinniah and followed by 

speech from Guest-Of-Honour Mr Zainudin Nordin, Mayor of 

Central Singapore District. 

The carnival kicked off with a bang and featured different 

sporting booths such as Archery, Badminton, Boccia, Futsal, 

Equestrian, Lawn Bowls, Handcycling, Shooting, Sailing, 

Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Racing and etc. In addition 

to learning more about various developmental sports, numerous 

games stations were also introduced for both people with and 

without disabilities to watch, cheer and play together. 

Clementi Training & Development Centre (CTDC), Napiri 

Training & Development Centre (NTDC) and MINDSville@Napiri 

(MV) trainees, residents and staff took part in this fun carnival. 

Everyone was given a passport each to redeem stamps whilst 

participating in the various Sports Try-Out Booths and Adapted 

Games. This included Shotput, Javelin, Aimmer!, Shooting, 

Softball, Holer and Sailing. 

There was much excitement written on the trainees’ faces 

when they were strapped in mid-air ready for the “Bungee 

Jumping” experience and while climbing up the steps on the 

Big Slide. Amongst both trainees and staff, there was nothing 

short of enjoyment and merrymaking. The scorching sun did 

not dampen the uplifted spirits as all were looking towards 

Showtime! which featured our very own trainees and staff 

A PROJECT 

DIGNITY 

INITIATIVE 

Text by: Ms Bernadette Maria Dass, Senior Training Officer & 

Ms Ng Reina, Senior Manager Social Enterprises 

Photos by: SMEDC 

► Yummy Yummy Yummy I got ‘love’ in my tummy 

Project Dignity is a local-based organization that trains 

and enables disadvantaged persons to become 

hawker-stall operators. Mr Koh Seng Choon, founder 

and Executive Director of Project Dignity who believes in 

empowering people through gainful employment and has 

helped more than 23 disadvantaged persons, including three 

MINDS school students graduate from his hawker training 

programme. 

Project Dignity’s operating model is a unique one; stalls 

are manned by pairing up a disabled person (e.g. hearing 

impaired, visually impaired, intellectually challenged) with a 

disadvantaged able-bodied person (e.g. ex-prisoner, single 

mother, unemployed elderly). While there are and will be 

challenges in this unique pairing, the success of the three 

hawker stalls run by Project Dignity at the Balestier Market 

Food Centre demonstrates that it is a synergistic and feasible 

model. 


► Gosh! That was fun! I’m going up for 1 more try! Weeeee! 

staging a very entertaining music and dance item. Trainees 

brought home a goodie bag each to complete their fun-filled 

Saturday! 

By organizing the first-ever This-Sports Ability Carnival, SDSC 

had achieved their aim of promoting integration and inclusion 

between people with and without disabilities. MINDS is indeed 

proud to have participated and contributed to this cause. 

► Hee! Hee! Er..a bit higher can 

► SMEDC clients waiting for their orders to be taken 

► Pleased with the meal and service 

As part of Project Dignity’s social mission, which is to provide 

free lunches to disadvantaged people, 30 clients (with 

open employment potential) from SIA-MINDS Employment 

Development Centre (SMEDC) were selected to attend the 

lunch session on 24 March 2011. These clients were asked 

to place their orders be it Nasi Lemak, Vegetarian Chicken 

Rice, Lontong or Mee Siam and a dessert from the stalls 

operated by Project Dignity. While waiting for the food to be 

served, a visually handicapped youth who runs the Malay food 

stall with his single-parent mother entertained the clients by 

demonstrating his ability to differentiate cash notes by using 

his hands. 

Not only was the outing a fun-filled one, it was also an 

educationally enriching experience for our trainees. The staff 

who attended the session also benefitted from the interactions 

they had with the Project Dignity team. It was a truly engaging 

session for all and we wish Project Dignity continual success! 


FOOD 

FOR THOUGHT 

The incredible story of service development at MINDS 

Food, SMEDC 

Text by: Ms Faridah Binte Ungku Ismail, Training Officer 

Photos by: SMEDC, MINDS Food 

Way back in 2009, having been assigned to MINDS 

Food, I witnessed a perpetual demand for breakfast 

items in our staff canteen. For the majority of our 

staff and clients on a regular working day, it was inconvenient 

to purchase breakfast from outside. What saddened me was 

seeing some of our clients bring some money and not spend it 

as there was no opportunity for purchasing. 

I sought to try something new by making 15 egg sandwiches 

and selling them in the canteen. From the exercise alone, the 

response was positive. Clients were curious and eager to lend 

a helping hand in this initiative. The demand for sandwiches 

also increased. It was then that I began involving the clients 

in breakfast preparations. Some were really excited; sporting 

keen interest by their early arrival to the centre to help me 

out. 

I began preparing a step-by-step training manual that contained 

pictures and easy instructions for some of our clients. They 

eventually became familiar in breakfast preparation and knew 

exactly when and how to prepare them by themselves. Starting 

with egg sandwiches, our breakfast menu variety began to 

expand; including tuna and sardine sandwiches; hotdog buns; 

chicken and fish burgers; croissants with tuna and egg fillings 

and pita bread. 

► ALL SMILES: Service Straight From the HEART! 

► This is Full-On FUNNNNNNNN!!! 

The success of this trial soon made way to a daily menu that 

clients were aware of and accustomed to. Further along, we 

introduced more food variety such as puddings, canned drinks 

and light snacks during tea break for our clients to pick, choose 

and purchase. With the growing business, a few clients were 

identified to possess fair money-handling skills and a cash 

register was brought in to facilitate efficient payment. A system 

to minimise calculation error, double check and keep up with 

sales stock was also instilled and these clients were trained to 

handle them all. 

Training is perpetual. Beginning with this breakfast initiative, 

clients are now trained to run the canteen counter store by 

themselves. They are brought out “shopping” for food supply 

where they can decide on what to sell. Every weekday morning, 

they prepare the cash float; set up the counter; place price tags; 

and prepare breakfast items for sale. 

Adhering to the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) guidelines, 

clients were also sent for Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSG) 

Food Hygiene Course. The course is designed to inculcate a 

better understanding of food and hygiene and impart quality 

customer service and social skills. 

► Served Fresh – served with Yumminess! 

The counter’s regular customers comprise of in-house clients, 

staff and teachers from Lee Kong Chian Gardens School (LGS) 

and SIA-MINDS Employment Centre (SMEDC). This initiative 

empowers our clients to practise good decision-making and 

now, their caregivers are more supportive of them carrying 

money to the centre because purchases are monitored by the 

Training Officers. 


I am truly delighted to learn that some clients are preparing 

breakfast items at home for their loved ones. Caregivers 

themselves have come forth expressing how pleased they are to 

see their child actively contributing to the generation of revenue 

in a small business. For the client, nothing pleases them more 

than to see their food being prepared and thereafter sold! 

Taking pride in what they do and being recognized for their ability 

has widened their social circle as well; now they have more 

opportunities to interact with their customers. Just imagine: the 

impact of what two loaves of bread can do! Today, MINDS Food 

has grown into a successful source of income for our clients. 

There are other ways to projects waiting to be discovered, but at 

least we know that our clients are up to the challenge and keen 

to make it work. 

► Puay Leng & Chen Sze choosing snack items for the counter 

LEARNING TO SIGN AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE 

An initiative by the Allied Health Professionals Hub – Common Signing Project Team 

In the past, manual signs under different systems were used at MINDS. The speech therapists at the various MINDS schools 

collated their own booklets and developed their own videos on basic functional signs and gestures for the teachers and 

parents. 

In MINDS’ adult sectors, there was no system formed except that each graduating cohort would use whatever the schools 

taught them. Indeed, this resulted in several challenges - the school’s sole speech therapist had to work with large caseloads 

under a time crunch, it was exhausting and the work, repetitive. This also accounted for pitfalls in information dissemination (on 

manual signs) to the various people involved in the care of our pupils and clients. 

In 2008, MINDS’ speech therapists surfaced the need for an organisation-wide common signing approach. This would align 

communication methods across the schools and adult centres and between home and the schools/centres. The implementation 

of a common signing approach will be an essential step towards enhanced quality service delivery to our clients. 

Approved by MINDS senior management as a project in the Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Hub three-year Work Plan (from 

FY 2009 – FY2011), the AHP Hub Common Signing Project Team, made up of 8 multidisciplinary team members then, was set 

up in 2009. The team has, since, grown to 11 members and achieved, to date, several milestones over the span of 3 years (i.e. 


from 2009 – 2011). The current initiative differs from previous attempts such that (i) a 

multidisciplinary AHP team is driving the effort rather than a lone Speech Therapist 

and (ii) the implementation plan involves a comprehensive and systematic in-service 

training about the common signing approach, via train-the-trainer model with the 

relevant qualification. 

Key Word Signing and Gesture (KWS&G) is one form of Augmentative and Alternative 

Communication (AAC) approach. Its practice is not new and has been developed 

for individuals with multiple and severe disabilities in the United Kingdom since 

1970s. To date, Key Word Signing and Gesture (also commonly known as Makaton) 

is used in over 40 countries worldwide (The Makaton Charity, 2010). KWS&G is used 

to support the communication development of hearing children or adults who are 

unable to speak, or whose speech is difficult to understand. The use of KWS&G is 

not intended to replace speech at all; rather, it is embraced as a total communication 

approach where the communication partner would speak and sign at the same time, 

and use any visual referent (e.g. object, picture, and/or photograph). 

KWS&G typically borrows signs from the deaf community of the host country. 

To date, however, there is yet to be KWS&G (Singapore), catered specifically to 

the needs and culture of our local context. Despite the fact that KWS&G is used 

worldwide, little was known about KWS&G in Singapore. 

One of our team members, a Speech Therapist, attended KWS&G (Australia) Presenter Training course at Melbourne in 2009 to be 

Singapore’s first qualified Key Word Sign Presenter. This marked the significant beginning of the journey where KWS&G (Australia) 

was adopted as an interim common signing approach to meet the immediate needs of the clients within MINDS. 

Indeed, the need for developing KWS&G (Singapore), incorporating the signs used in the local deaf community, to better meet the 

diverse culture of local context has also been identified. 

Fifteen students (aged from 8 to 13, exhibiting unclear and/or limited-nil speech) from MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School have 

been identified to be involved in the 2011 one-year pilot study. Specifically, our project team is exploring the potential for change 

in creating an ‘environment-culture’ which, in this instance, using KWS&G (along with speech) as part of a total communication 

approach when interacting with persons with intellectual disabilities. The findings from the pilot study will then guide decisions 

regarding future implementation of KWS&G within MINDS schools and centres. 

For a start, appropriate training has to be provided to the adult communication partners (i.e. involved parents and staff) to equip 

them with the fundamental knowledge and skills to be able to use KWS&G effectively and efficiently. 

The learning and use of KWS&G may be likened to learning a language or embracing a new ‘culture’ of communication. Indeed, 

people need to be immersed in an environment where a common communication method (in addition to speech) is being used. 

The communication partner’s use of the system signifies and is, clearly, a reflection of the person valuing the Augmentative and 

Alternative communication (AAC) system; it is through this that the communication partner promotes its everyday AAC use to others 

in everyday environment. So, why wait any longer? Sign with me, and together we sign ~ you will make a difference. 

Eva Wei-Lyn Loh, 

Speech Therapist 


ON OUR COVERPAGE 

AND REAR PAGE 

About our Artist 

Mohd Rozlan, is a creative 31-year old client at SIA-MIND Employment Development Centre (SMEDC) who has a passion 

for both music and art. Rozlan possesses intricate fine motor skills and is versatile in creating beautiful artwork at MINDS 

Craft. 

During a metal relief workshop planned for SMEDC’s MINDS Craft trainees, Rozlan was identified to have an ability to create 

beautiful metal relief art pieces. He has the patience and vision to carefully and intricately craft pieces in a style completely 

his own. His skills were further developed through ongoing training and to date, has sold several intricate designs used as 

plaques and award ceremony give-aways. 

Rozlan is also very talented in music and movement. Apart from MINDS Craft, he is also involved in MINDS Perform where 

he plays the Taiko drum.

About MINDS 

MINDS stands for Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of 

Singapore. MINDS started with a single classroom of 26 children 

back in 1962. 49 years later, MINDS has grown to be one of the 

oldest and biggest VWOs in Singapore. MINDS’ services include 

four special education schools, three sheltered workshops, three 

day activity centres and a multi-service residential facility catering 

to persons with moderate to severe intellectual disability. MINDS 

serves about 2,400 clients in the 11 facilities located island-wide. 

MINDS has received strong support from various funding bodies, 

the community, corporations and individuals. It is our vision to grow 

and become a world-class VWO that advances the development, 

well-being and aspirations of persons with intellectual disability 

and their integration back into society.

MICA (P) 129/02/2011 Issue No. 2/2011 - MINDS

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