Singapore is enhancing its commitment to inclusivity, with visually impaired advocate Chong Kwek Bin leading critical accessibility improvements. Chong, manager of the accessibility and assistive technology team at SG Enable, is instrumental in developing and implementing solutions for individuals with disabilities.
His work has directly influenced the 24-hour operation of audible traffic signals, a vital safety feature for the visually impaired. This initiative is part of Singapore's broader Enabling Masterplan 2030. Chong also represented Singapore at the UN's Conference of States Parties on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, focusing on digital accessibility.
Navigating the city, Chong identified critical design flaws in sheltered walkways and advocated for tactile paving and stark color contrast in new developments like the Enabling Village, aiding independent navigation.
Diagnosed at age nine with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder causing progressive vision loss, Chong's journey has been marked by resilience. Despite early challenges, he excelled academically, even receiving special accommodations for his studies.
Initially aspiring to be an economics teacher, Chong faced rejection from the Ministry of Education due to his visual impairment. He found his calling in assistive technology, first at the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped and now at SG Enable, where he tests and advises on new devices, including RoamAssist's robot guide dog.
Chong candidly shares the daily frustrations of his condition, from well-intentioned but misguided public assistance to the personal loss of reading pleasure. He emphasizes that true inclusion requires active participation from people with disabilities in all decision-making processes.
His core message advocates for recognizing the shared humanity and nuanced lives of individuals with disabilities, urging society to see them not as different, but as fundamentally the same: "We are just like you."