Year 1 World Readiness Programme Symposium 2023

The Year 1 World Readiness Programme (WRP) this year took place on 11 August. As part of the Joint Integrated Programme (JIP), we gathered with the other JIP schools, Catholic High School and Singapore Chinese Girls School, in our school hall for the symposium. 

Our keynote speaker, Dr James Kah, Assistant Dean in the Office of Undergraduate Programmes at the College of Design and Engineering (CDE), shared his insights on how technological innovations are applied to enhance the well-being and experiences of persons with disabilities.

What does disability mean? Disability is mainly broken down into two categories — physical and cognitive. We learnt that there is a medical and social model of disability. The key idea is: Ability subtracted from barriers is equal to disability. This means that disability is a spectrum and not a binary; it cannot be defined with a yes or no. 

Assistive technology refers to any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customised that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. So, how can assistive technology bring down the barrier or increase ability, to reduce disability? As mentioned, disability is a spectrum, so assistive technology tools are customised to best suit the needs of the disabled. There are many types of assistive technology: mobility and transportation, manipulation, sensory, communication and cognitive support. 

Of course, there is universal technology which is designed to be usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. This mainstream technology includes curb cuts, tactile pavements, electric toothbrushes, velcro, audiobooks, low-floor buses and ramps. You may have heard of these common tools.

Even with this futuristic and fancy technology, there are challenges. These tools are bespoke, but at the same time they have to be affordable for people from all walks of life. It is not easy creating tools that cater to each and every disabled person’s needs. These tools also have to be user-friendly and reliable for long-term usage. This is why such tools do not come cheap, therefore the government has to subsidise and provide funding and resources to the disabled. 

During the symposium, we were exposed to various booths displaying commonly-owned items that were specially customised for people with disabilities. For example, there were utensils that were specifically designed for those who have trouble feeding themselves. As seen from the picture below, the handle of the spoon may help the user to hold on to it more easily. The fork may also have a larger handle for the surface area allowed for grip to increase. 

The computer mouse that most of us are familiar with can also be adapted to fit the needs of disabled people. The ‘trackball’ allows the user to rotate the ball, which remains mounted in a stationary position. It requires less arm movement, thereby reducing the risk of repetitive strain injury, making it more appropriate for users with disabilities. In terms of operation and accuracy, it is very similar to a regular mouse.

Another device called a ReaderPen allows for text scanned with the ReaderPen to be read out, which is referred to as a text-to-speech function. It also includes a voice recorder for the user to revise. This helps people who struggle with reading and literacy. 

Apart from the computer mouse and ReaderPen, another customised device is the dome magnifier. It is used to enlarge words on a page or computer screen, usually providing between 1.8x and 6x magnification. The dome magnifier is often used by the visually impaired and is suitable for reading maps or basic text. It is also useful for people with tremors or impaired motor skills, because they are held in contact with the page during use.

The Roger Pen — a wireless microphone that one places in one’s pocket will pipe sound directly into one’s hearing aid — creates an environment free from background noise for people with impaired hearing. When set in “conference mode”, the Roger Pen automatically focuses on the speaker regardless where the microphone at the top of the pen is directed. 

The four devices mentioned above are just some of the few items that are customised to meet the needs of disabled persons. Our society can become a more inclusive one when we display acceptance and support to those who experience problems that the ordinary person does not. The creation of such devices is another step towards building a better country. 

When asked what she enjoyed most during the symposium, Kim Jua (1 Purity) said, “I enjoyed going to the different booths and discovering about the different machines.” 

Hayman Saung Tin (1 Truth) found it wonderful to be exposed to so many new inventions that she never thought would exist. The symposium was helpful to her in the sense that she feels inspired to make something of her own to help those in need. 

In our opinionswe are extremely grateful to be able to experience this WRP Symposium. We learnt more about the disabled people, how they cope with their disabilities and we also learnt how to empathise with them more. This experience has made all of us realise how fortunate we are to be born without disabilities and it has also definitely inspired us to do more to help the disabled. The knowledge we gained was certainly enlightening and motivating. If we had the opportunity to experience it one more time, all over again, we would choose to. The question left to us by Dr Kah is what all of us should think about — Is Smart Nation only about the fancy, cool, glittery systems for the masses? 

By: Carys Lim (1 Purity), Darissa Ong (1 Truth), Vera Neo (1 Truth)