Contributed by RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO –
An Increasing Support for People With Disabilities
Over the last few months, the government has come up with new schemes and programmes to support people with disabilities, and that is encouraging.
The new five-year initiative $30 million initiative to fund projects that will help people with disabilities have a better quality of life announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Sunday is welcome news (“$30 million fund to help people with disabilities”; The Straits Times, Monday).
These new schemes will help pave the way for a truly inclusive society and I applaud the government, the Tote Board, the National Council of Social Services and SG Enable for such efforts.
Encouraging Caregiving through Providing Writing Grants
With these support measures in place, people with disabilities – and they must surely include those with mental illness, can chart new directions in life, turning a disability into an ability. And there are many such success stories, including those who can excel in the arts, some of whom have left behind a legacy. Indeed, there is much to gain when this group is allowed to express themselves freely and without judgement through writing. My late wife, Doris Lau who authored 8 successful books is clear-cut example of how with unflagging support from dedicated caregivers and charitable organisations, she has left behind a legacy – a legacy that others in her condition can emulate.
However, the biggest challenge writers’ face is securing publishing grants which can cost anything between $5,000 to $6,000 for a print run of 500 books. If writers were to pay from their own pockets, after paying for the publishing costs, there is hardly any profit which they can make. But with a grant, they will be able to earn some money from the sales of the books, which can motivate them to produce more literary works.
To this end, I urge the Tote Board in collaboration with its partners to go the extra mile and consider awarding writing grants to both people with disabilities and their caregivers so that they can not only become self-reliant, but also contribute to the literary culture here in Singapore.
Writing also helps people who have lost social support to keep their minds actively engaged, thereby preventing depression from creeping in; bearing in mind that creative writing helps maintain mental stability.
For myself, I will like very much to continue producing books as firstly, writing is my passion, and secondly, my psychologist who is treating me for insomnia following the early demise of my wife, has advised me to continue writing as it is helping in healing the pain from losing my wife. For writing is a form of healing.
Grants should not just be restricted to current caregivers, but also to those who have stuck by their loved ones through thick and thin, and it is a good way to reward dedicated caregivers and promote caregiving as a noble job.
By Raymond Anthony Fernando
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