From 2005 to 2006, a group of six youth from 4 different Integrated Programme schools took up the call to create public awareness of the physically disabled in Singapore youths. Under the Leadership Development Programme jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, Singapore and the Singapore Management University, we organised and implemented a large-scale Amazing Race-like event, entitled "Wheel Get There", which allowed able-bodied youths the chance to travel around the country on wheelchairs, to let them experience first-hand the difficulties faced by the less fortunate.
Over 200 youth participants were involved in the race held on 11th March 2006, beginning at the National Youth Park in Somerset, and ending at the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA), located in Whampoa. Along the way, the 20 participating teams made their way to checkpoints situated in various locations around the Orchard, Novena and Toa Payoh areas. For many, this was a first – both in terms of experiencing what it is like to be restricted to wheelchairs as well as actually interacting with physically handicapped members from HWA. After adjusting to the sudden lack of mobility, the participants gamely set out to experience what it is like to be handicapped in an urban landscape such as Singapore.
The roaring success of the event exceeded our initial expectations, and we also benefited personally from the entire process. We leant more about serving the community, as well as the importance of teamwork and dedication. The event received much positive feedback from the participants and volunteers, many of which were moved and inspired to help out, after experiencing the difficulties faced by the physically disabled in Singapore. Many said that they would help as far as possible to make moving a little easier for the physically disabled in public, and finally understood how embarrassing and uncomfortable it feels to be stared at in a wheelchair in public.
Bumpy roads and uneven pavements are some of the obstacles which make traveling in wheelchairs a horrendous back-breaking experience, often threatening to throw their users off their wheels. And while many of us moan at the sight of overhead bridges and the thought of having to climb up all those seemingly insurmountable steps, how many have actually stopped to considered the fact that wheelchair-bound individuals are not even able to use these same bridges?
As able-bodied people, these are details that we never did notice; which never will affect us but have all the while made someone else's life more difficult than it already is. We sincerely hope that something can be done to make their lives just a little bit easier.
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