A Special Tribute

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities and the Needy

Diary Entry for Valentine’s Day

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. ~ Helen Keller

Personality Feature A Passionate Volunteer P6-7

MICA(P) 116/11/2013

April/May 2014

Highlights

P5P10-11

P4

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editorial team

Liang YixiangJinhua KuekSeema Dadlani-RamchandGeorge LimShirley LimTan Keng YingYeo Sock ChiewRozlin Othman

Special thanks also to Zhu Yexin

what’s inside?

Designed and printed by Edvance Imaging Solutions Pte Ltd www.edvance.sg • contact@edvance.sg

3 Editor’s Note

4 My Diary •TheValentine’sDayDiaryEntryofDarrenSee

5 Tribute •ATributetoTheDeafCommunity’sLegend- TheLateMsFrancesMargaretParsons

6 Personalities •PursuingHisFirstLove

8 Bonding •TerrariumBonding

9 Announcements •SADeafHearingHelpCard(HHC) •SADeafEmploymentSupport •SADeafOpeningHours

10 AssistanceSchemes •AnOverviewonAvailableAssistanceSchemes

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Valentine’s Day is an occasion that I sometimes wish can be wiped off the calendar. My beef is the commercialisation of it. The inflated price of flowers keeps men awake at night. I exaggerate. But this issue brings us a timely reminder of what Valentine’s Day truly means. Read about Darren’s Valentine’s Day catch-up with his friend, Jason Chee. Jason is the navy serviceman who suffered a well-publicised accident in 2012. Like Darren puts it, Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers, it’s all about spending quality time with loved ones.

In this issue, I would also like to highlight an article on You Xin. You Xin is familiar to us; he is the chairperson of YouthBeat. Do you know that You Xin’s volunteering work does not stop at SADeaf and that the enthusiastic young man also makes time to volunteer with the People’s Association Youth Movement? Read on to find out how You Xin keeps his passion for volunteering alive till now.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,Liang YixiangEditor

編者的話梁益祥

情人节是我有时侯希望，能从日历上消失的节日，因为它太商业化了。容许我夸张地说，情人节花束的价格不菲，有时还会让男人难以入眠。

本期《传声》带我们回到情人节的本质，提醒我们这个节日真正的意义。

Darren则选择在情人节当天和朋友朱永辉欢聚。朱永辉是在2012年发生意外的海军正规军人，当时这起意外被广泛报道。正如Darren所说的，情人节不仅是情人度过的节日，更是和家人好友共享优质时光的好机会。

本期我也想要推荐一则关于You Xin的报道，他是YouthBeat的主席，相信大家对他并不陌生。原来这位年轻人除了在新加坡聋人协会当义工，他也是人民协会青年运动的义工呢！他究竟如何维持当义工的热忱呢？

祝 阅读愉快！

editor’s note

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have your say

For feedback, comments and suggestions on Signal Newsletter, you can email to signal@sadeaf.org.sg or mail to The Singapore Association for the Deaf, 227 Mountbatten Road, Singapore 397998

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The Valentine’s DayDiary Entry of Darren SeeSeema Dadlan-Ramchand, Volunteer Journalist

Ever wonder how some of our deaf friends spend their Valentine’sDay? In this issue of Signal we share with you an entry of diary ofour SADeaf client, on how he spent that day.

From left to right: Darren See and Jason Chee

my diary

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A Tribute to The Deaf Community’s Legend - The Late Ms Frances Margaret ParsonsTan Keng Ying, Volunteer Journalist

On behalf of SADeaf, I would like to pay tribute to Ms

Frances Margaret Parsons. I received the unfortunate

news of her passing from my Gallaudet alumni last

December.

Ms Parsons, who was also affectionately known as

Peggy, was 90 years old when she passed away. She

was struck by a sport-utility vehicle while walking her

dog outside her home. She was a deaf retired Associate

Professor at the Gallaudet University in Washington DC,

United States.

I still remember my first meeting with Peggy. It was at

the Gallaudet University’s library when I was a student

there and she was a coordinator at the International

History Collections with the Archive department then.

When she was alive, Peggy travelled all over the world

in her effort to bring her “TOTAL COMMUNICATION”

(TC) philosophy to the Deaf community. She lectured

passionately on Deaf issues especially on Deaf

education. Peggy was also the author of several Deaf-

related books.

In 1976, Peggy brought the teaching of TC into

Singapore to help the deaf children with their learning

process. TC is a two-way communication approach

that requires people to sign and speak at the same

time. The approach indeed helps deaf children to pick

up English language skills. Today, by using TC, deaf

children in Singapore are able to read and write, as well

as sign in English language.

To the Deaf community, although Peggy is no longer

with them, her legend will always live on.

tribute

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Goodbye Peggy

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personalities

Pursuing His First LoveGeorge Lim, Volunteer Journalist

25-year-old Toh You Xin is currently a final year Computer Science

undergraduate student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He

is also the current chairperson of SADeaf YouthBeat, a youth volunteer

group which plans and organizes events for the local Deaf community.

Amidst his busy study schedule, You Xin would always make time to give

back to society through community work, especially in helping the Deaf.

The energetic youth who loves sports shared that his dream is to help

makes Singapore a more inclusive society through the integration of the

Deaf into the mainstream society.

You Xin’s volunteer work with SADeaf started some four years ago

while he was still serving his National Service. Back then, he spent

whatever little spare time he had to acquire new skills and knowledge

on volunteerism, and expand his social circle with volunteers from all

walks of life. Among You Xin’s notable engagements include:- promoting

YouthBeat at Children Charities Association (CCA) Fair and the SADeaf

Charity Walk 2011, conducting youth cultural explorations with River

Valley High School and organising the Deaf Dialogue sessions. Outside

of YouthBeat, You Xin is also actively involved in SADeaf’s other projects

such as Deaf Corner and “Walk and Fly with Me 2012”.

His love for volunteerism does not stop at SADeaf, You Xin also

volunteers for the People’s Association Youth Movement (PAYM) under

About YouthBeat

YouthBeat aims to integrate deaf youths with their hearing peers, inspire them to serve the Deaf community and to transform them into future youth leaders. Through activities organised by enthusiastic and passionate youth volunteers, YouthBeat has enabled deaf youths to build self-confidence, teamwork, leadership and better interpersonal relationship skills. YouthBeat also helps to foster the spirit of volunteerism among the Deaf and hearing youths through service-learning projects. By becoming part of the integration process, it allows the deaf and hearing youths to explore Deaf-specific issues, exchange ideas and experiences together.

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personalities

the Woodlands Galaxy Community Club Youth

Executive Committee. There, he reaches out to

residents and the underprivileged through various

community projects.

Initially, when he first started volunteering with the

Deaf community, You Xin faced some communication

barriers with the deaf participants as he did not

know sign language. He shared, “I told myself that

if I was to volunteer for the Deaf community, I would

have to take up sign language course to facilitate

my interaction.” The course piqued his interest in

serving the Deaf and he has not looked back since

then.

For You Xin, he feels the sense of fulfillment whenever

he sees the deaf friends enjoying the activities

planned by YouthBeat. “Whenever I see the deaf

participants enjoying the events which we organised,

it kept me going and more determined in making a

difference in the lives of the Deaf,” he explained.

On his plan for 2014, You Xin will be rolling out more

community initiatives via YouthBeat to further enable

members of the Deaf community to build essential

life skills through community service and sports.

Through the various enrichment programmes that

would be organised throughout the year, You Xin

wishes to encourage the Deaf community to widen

their knowledge base, display their artistic talents

and pick up useful skills, just like he did.

An enthusiastic young man with unrelenting

commitment towards integrating the deaf and hearing

worlds, You Xin is definitely one of those volunteers

we would be able to always count on.

In collaboration with Grey Group Singapore, SADeaf had launched two mobile apps “Say it With Signs” and “Hearing Aide” on 22 April 2014. The apps aim to transform the smart phones into intelligent devices that will help the Deaf community.

SADeaf will be conducting a free training session for clients on the usage of the two apps soon. For more information, please contact Mr James Ong (Executive Officer, Programme & Volunteer Coordination): 9688 5073(hp) or email: eopvc@sadeaf.org.sg.

Say it With Signs Hearing Aide

Announcement

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bonding

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Terrarium BondingZhu Yexin, Volunteer Journalist

On 22 February 2014, 13 deaf and hard of hearing

participants came together for the *terrarium

workshop organised by the YouthBeat volunteers in

collaboration with NParks held at SADeaf Hall.

At the workshop, participants were taught step by

step on how to build a terrarium by the NParks staff.

Excitement could be felt in the room when it was

time for the participants to create their very own

terrariums! NParks staff were always nearby to provide

guidance and helping hand to the participants. It

was heartening to see the participants bonding and

enjoying themselves. They also were beaming with

pride at the precious terrariums they had created.

For the participants, their adventure did not stop

there. They got to bring home and take care of their

creations.

For the YouthBeat volunteers, the workshop would

not have been a success if not for the support they

had received from NParks and SADeaf’s Ambassador

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

NParks staff and YouthBeat volunteers

How to create a terrarium:

• Lay tiny stones at the bottom of the glass container to act as a reservoir for water

• Fill in the soil• Place the plants in the soil• Lay the decorative sand on top of

the soil• Water the terrarium and seal it

*Terrarium - a mini garden in a glass container

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Hi Readers,

SADeaf has begun to issue the new Hearing Help Card (HHC) to its clients. In addition to the new HCC, you

can continue to use the existing HHC.

If you wish to exchange your existing HHC to the new type, you may visit SADeaf during office hours:

Monday to Tuesday / Thursday to Friday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Wednesday: 8.30am to 10.00pm

Any replacement of lost HHC will incur a $3 replacement fee. For more information, please contact Goh

Wyping (Social Work Assistant): 8282 6307(hp) or email: cs_swa@sadeaf.org.sg.

SADeaf Hearing Help Card (HHC)

The Singapore Association for the Deaf Opening Hours

Monday to Tuesday: 8:30am to 5:30pm

Wednesday: 8:30am to 10:00pm (Extended)

Thursday to Friday: 8:30am to 5:30pm

Saturday, Sunday & PH: Closed

announcements

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With immediate effect, clients who need assistance in employment can

register with the SADeaf’s Community Services (CS) section. The Social

Workers / Case Managers will conduct assessments to understand more

about the clients’ employment needs. Job-seeking clients will then be

referred to SG Enable for job matching services. CS will continue to

provide job counselling as well as onsite support (to deaf working clients,

employers and supervisors) for work-related issues.

To make an appointment or enquiry, please contact Goh Wyping (Social

Work Assistant): 8282 6307 (hp) or email: cs_swa@sadeaf.org.sg.

SADeaf Employment Support

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assistance schemes

An Overview on Available Assistance SchemesScheme Name Eligibility Comcare Provides assistance to households who require temporary help because their members are either looking for work, temporarily unable to work due to

families. (Source: Ministry of Social and Family Development website )

- ens or permanent

Residents - If the applicant is a PR, then at least

one of the immediate family

Tel: 1800-222 0000 Email: comcare@msf.gov.sg

s) located Island wide and co-located within 5 CDCs.

Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) A scheme by the Ministry of Health

from lower- and middle-income households to receive subsidies for

clinics near their homes. (Source: CHAS, 2014)

for CHAS if they meet the following criteria: - Household monthly income per

person of $1,800 and below; or - Annual Value (AV) of residence of

$21,000 and below for households with no income

Interested applicants can pick up the

Hospital, Polyclinic, Community Centre and Club (CC), Community Development Council (CDC) or SADeaf. Form can also be downloaded from the website: www.chas.sg

Public Transport Concession Scheme for

Concessionary rates for travel on public tr PWDs will be eligible for the $80 interim

(Source: SG Enable, 2014)

Persons aged less than 60 years of age*,

Permanent Residents and: - ing disability

schemes and services and members (with permanent disability) of SADeaf; or

- schools operated by a VWO; or

-

*Deaf persons above 60 years of age to

This can be applied at TransitLink Ticket

Machines.

Interested applicants can refer to SG

on tpersons. If not, applicants can submit

via the SG Enable website, or through the hardcopy form downloaded from the SG Enable and SADeaf websites. Website: www.sgenable.sg or www.sadeaf.org.sg

assistance schemes

If interested, please contact Mr Lai Siu Fai, Audiological Manager at 63442874 ext 19 or email at siufai@sadeaf.org.sg.

package?

1. -sized photo. 2. Mail the form to Land Transport Authority (LTA) as soon as possible so that you can receive your concession

card to enjoy the . 3. Due to the large volume expected, it may take around two months to process from the date

is received. 4. The Concession Card will be mailed to your address.

How to claim the $80 Before 31 Dec 2014) 1. any

/ Concession . 2. Place your travel card on the Add Value Machine Plus (AVM+) card reader, select “Redeem Voucher” icon

How to purchase the Monthly Concession Pass for

1.

For further assistance or enquiries: 1. Visit the Community Services (CS)

Monday to Tuesday / Thursday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm and Wednesday from 8.30am to 10pm 2. SMS / Call Goh Wyping (Social Work Assistant): 8282 6307 (hp) 3. Email: cs_swa@sadeaf.org.sg

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