First of all, a very good afternoon Mr Andrew Goh, Mr Tan Soo Kiang, Bo Rui Foundation, distinguished guests, friends of the autism community, ladies and gentlemen, very good afternoon.
1. It is my pleasure to join you at St Andrew's Autism Centre's (SAAC's) inaugural charity walk, Walk of a Lifetime.
2. It is heartening to see so many of us turning up here this afternoon to walk in solidarity with the autism community in Singapore and braving this very hot sun.
3. I would like to take this opportunity to wish SAAC a happy 18th anniversary. SAAC embarked on its mission of serving persons with autism and their families since 2005. What started out as a small centre on the 10th floor of St. Andrew's Community Hospital has now grown into a full-fledged centre in Singapore serving 460 students, clients, and residents across their lifespan.
4. This year, SAAC has organised their first ever charity walk to raise awareness about autism and the autism community. While some of us may have encountered individuals with autism in our daily lives, many in our society might not know much about this condition and I was at the booths earlier, heartened to see the efforts at increasing awareness.
5. Indeed, we should not just raise awareness about the autism community but also autism in the community. There's a difference between autism community and autism in the community.
6. Our walk today is a symbol of solidarity and support for the journey that persons with autism and their families have to walk through daily. The journey may not be easy, but it is one that can be done with the support from us, fellow Singaporeans.
7. For persons with autism and their families, even a trip to the park can require meticulous planning and coordination. I have heard heart wrenching stories from parents who shared that they will bring their children to the playground in their HDB estates only in the late hours where there are no other children or to a playground in private estates where fewer children play. This is to avoid difficult situations where other children may not know how to play with their children.
8. Being outdoors with others may seem simple for some of us, but it can be daunting for persons with autism to be in unfamiliar environments and people. Therefore, it does mean a lot for these families to have an opportunity to be a part of a community event like today's. It is even more important for our children without special needs to be given wider exposure to their peers with special needs like autism, and be provided with opportunities to show appreciation and sensitivity.
9. I have just returned from a study trip in Denmark and Finland. In Finland, we saw how children with special needs are integrated well in their early years in childcare centres where inclusivity is a key value.
10. We should aspire to do more to integrate our children with special needs like autism at various stages of their lives and focus on each child's developmental potential, not just their needs, as we do likewise for children without special needs. If we can do the same for children without special needs, we should do likewise, or even more for children with special needs.
11. It is really my hope that one day, we will build a more inclusive society, that events like these will no longer be needed to raise awareness and that community spaces and facilities will already be designed to be disability-inclusive for Singaporeans of all walks of life.
12. It is only through meaningful opportunities for interaction that we can foster mutual understanding, respect and inclusion in the community.
13. Seeing the support from so many of you today gives me hope that we are taking steps in the right direction. Everyone's journey is different, but we should look out for one another in the community to ensure that no Singaporean gets left behind.
14. Together, we can build a more inclusive society, one where we celebrate and value all individuals for who they are.
15. So thank you so much for spending your Saturday afternoon braving this very hot sun with all of us and I wish you a very enjoyable and meaningful walk, and for us to continue to integrate all our friends and citizens who may be experiencing some elements of disability, but in fact, they have the abilities as all of us do. So thank you so much everyone. Have a wonderful afternoon, have a wonderful walk. Thank you.