SINGAPORE - People with disabilities are individuals who are determined to live purposeful lives, just like the rest of society, and this requires a collective understanding from the wider community, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Speaking at the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards 2023 ceremony, held at the Istana on Dec 11, President Tharman stressed that there is still much more to be done in changing mindsets among the public.

He said: “As the message on the tissue packets on our tables says, ‘Wipe away bias’. It is still an issue.”

President Tharman highlighted a commentary piece in The Straits Times two months ago, written by a mother of an autistic daughter.

The writer pointed out a common experience of parents of children with autism, or even those with other disabilities – their children are routinely stared at in public. She wrote: “My daughter is not a freak. She has autism.”

In her commentary, she also said: “‘Different’ people are our children, our parents, our siblings. They are us. They are an everyday part of our community.”

President Tharman noted that in response, another mother wrote to the newspaper’s Forum Page, recounting that she sometimes received kind remarks after explaining that her son is autistic.

Yet, others persisted in staring despite her explanations, said the Forum writer. On one occasion, it prompted her to tell the person that staring does not cure autism.

President Tharman said that most people do not mean to be unkind or mean any harm when they stare at those with autism or other disabilities.

But he said that a collective effort is needed to help everyone understand, especially growing up in school, that some among those in society “will naturally be differently abled”, and “some will naturally express themselves in ways that are not typical, including the way they express joy”.

“And help everyone understand that we must embrace all, typical and untypical, in our everyday lives and make them feel fully at home in the community,” he added.

There were 14 recipients of the awards, which recognise the achievements of people with disabilities in two categories.

The first is the Achievement Award, which celebrates people with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their own fields and served as an aspiration to others.

There were three winners in 2023, including para-equestrienne Laurentia Tan, who is one of Singapore’s most successful para-athletes.

The other is the Promise Award, which encourages people with disabilities who have shown promise to pursue greater heights in their areas of talent and to continue to serve the community. There were 10 recipients in 2023.

A posthumous award was presented to Mr Rajpal Nirat Singh, who died in September. The 23-year-old was the founder of Hearing Vietnam, a non-profit organisation that serves the needs of the deaf and hearing impaired in Vietnam.

Achievement Award recipients each received $10,000, while each of the Promise Award recipients and Mr Nirat’s family received $5,000.

Among the recipients of the Promise Award was Mr Filmer Tan, who runs a home-based business selling chiffon cakes and is a performing artiste-in-training with non-profit organisation ART:DIS.

He was diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma, a rare tumour that covered half his brain, and has undergone five major operations. After his first emergency procedure, Mr Tan suffered a stroke, which resulted in paralysis of his left side.

The 22-year-old, who was a part-time waiter at a cafe until October 2023 and is involved in the Special Olympic Singapore’s bowling outreach programme, said he wants to uplift others who have disabilities.

He hopes others can emulate his personal motto, which is to keep trying in spite of disabilities. “If you keep on trying, then you will just get better at it,” said Mr Tan.

Achievement Award winner Aisah Ibrahim, 76, said she always hopes to inspire others to live well and puts in her best in whatever she does.

Diagnosed with polio at the age of two, Madam Aisah relied on leg calipers to aid her mobility. However, after a fall in 2014, she had to undergo hip replacement surgery, and has been using a wheelchair.

Today, this active senior is not only the president of the Bedok Youth Society for the Disabled, but she also keeps busy as an Inclusion Ambassador with the Disabled People’s Association and is a Team Singapore para-bowler.

She has also trained as a vocalist and keyboardist after joining Faith Music Centre’s Band Mentorship Programme.

Madam Aisah said: “Through my years, I have encountered lots of miserable things, lots of problems. But I take it easy. I make an effort to live and be happy.”