Two days ago, I went to the disabled community in Singapore's Red Hill, and I was very emotional.
After exiting the Hongshan subway station, about five minutes away, you will find the community. This undoubtedly provides great convenience for people with disabilities with reduced mobility. Upon entering the community, you will be greeted by a community center called "The Bird's Nest" with a striking slogan on the wall that reads, "Building Dreams, Enabling Lives."
“Building Dreams Enabling Lives”（打造梦想，自立生活）的标语非常醒目。
This is the dream of people with disabilities, and it also comes from the respect given by able-bodied people.
The entire neighborhood was renovated from an original elementary school campus, so you can find that the architectural style is very similar to that of a school, and after the renovation, you can't help but feel a sense of strength when you walk through it. The reason for this is that they can have the same life as able-bodied people here: gyms, studios, clinics, cafes, supermarkets...... Abound.
In order to take care of them, gym equipment, such as multi-functional fitness equipment, originally needed to be manually replaced, but instead operated by the screen to achieve automatic weight replacement. Other details are also revealed: lower elevator buttons, larger power switches, sliding doors, and so on. These are enough to show that this community is definitely not the so-called "face project".
The beautiful graffiti within the community is a delight.
I then visited the Science and Technology R&D Exhibition Hall. Here, I saw a lot of objects designed specifically for people with disabilities. What impressed me the most was the special kettle.
This kettle, which can be mounted on a stand, allows the user to pour water with a slight push of the finger forward, which greatly benefits people with upper limb defects.
Such a simple design, but it has really changed the predicament of some people's lives. Next to it is a special spoon with a handle that curves backwards like a hook, making it convenient for those who can't keep their fingers together. There is also a "board" with some English words or Chinese phrases, when the user presses the corresponding word or phrase, it will make a sound, and at the same time, the core of the board can be replaced like a chip.
This has saved too many people who are deaf and have dysexpression.
Out of the exhibition hall, I walked around the community and had a good view. I found that the greenery is very beautiful but does not affect people's movements. People in the community call one of the most lush plants a "mini-botanical garden". Indeed, being in it makes you feel more relaxed, so that all the negative emotions are washed.
All of the above is the government's care for people with disabilities, and many people with disabilities in Singapore have lived up to the government's care for them.
There will be a guide when I visit, and the one who guides me is one of the people who live in it. He was not born with a disability, but when he was six years old, his father took him on a bicycle and accidentally fell to the ground, which caused him to lose his left side of the brain, causing him to be unable to move the fingers of his former right hand and his right foot to exert force well in the days that followed, which earned him scolding and ridicule at school.
At the same time, in order to avoid being ridiculed, he forced himself to be at the top so that he would not be punished by the teacher for his bad performance.
His inferiority complex made him think many times about going to a special school, after all, there, no one would laugh at him.
Eventually, however, he preferred to live in the world as an able-bodied person. He was able to take care of himself almost completely, and even the nails of his left hand, he learned to use his right foot to operate a nail clipper to cut. On this basis, he is also like a sound person, relentlessly chasing his dreams.
In a very unsightly posture, he ran the whole marathon; With only one flexible hand, he figured out the "one-handed magic technique" on his own. It can be said that his life has been turning the impossible into a possibility.
He is just a microcosm, and there are so many others who are just like him, tenacious and brave. They all used their optimism and tenacity to live as "people with a capital letter".
This reminds me of a song, "Our Story", written by the famous Singaporean composer Darius Lim, dedicated to all people with disabilities in Singapore. This time, I didn't pay attention to any of the strange stares of the rest of the visitors, and chose to sing loudly to express my admiration for them.
As the lyrics mention, they are strong and different, but they are also normal, just like us who struggle in ordinary life.
视频说明：这是在SEASAC（South East Asian Student Activities Conference，东南亚学生活动大会）中，七所学校学生联合演唱新加坡作曲家Dr. Darius Lim（林健雄博士）的作品《Our Story》，献给每一位残障人士。
About the Author:
Shepherd Boy, a 19-year-old middle school student, is about to start his university life.
Hobbies: bel canto singing, composition (41 lyrics and 13 songs), arrangement, ancient Chinese literature, Chinese history, European history, photography, rope skipping, table tennis
Edited by KS丨
Shepherd Boy丨Author
1. The copyright of all works on this website that indicates the type of article as "original" belongs to Kannanyang and Singapore Eye. When reprinting and using by other media, websites or individuals, they must indicate: "Article source: Singapore Eye".
2. All works indicated on this website as "reprinted" and "compiled" are reprinted or compiled from other media, for the purpose of delivering more valuable information, and it does not mean that this official account agrees with its views and is responsible for its authenticity.