Being born with skeletal dysplasia did not stop his family from encouraging him. Being unable to walk and hold things properly did not prevent him from playing badminton. But being unable to afford the right sports wheelchair did stand in the way of Akram Ramadan Misrawi’s dream to be a national para-badminton athlete.

Without financial aid, without organisations to open doors for them, without someone to support their cause, many with disabilities would be too mired in the challenges of daily living to pursue their dreams. They would not have the resources to develop their skills and talents.

Fulfilling aspirations is about giving those with disabilities help to rise above their circumstances so they can soar. We fund musical dreams, sporting efforts, artistic endeavours, culinary classes, IT aspirations, career ambitions, business enterprises, and education and training programmes. With your help, we can fuel more hopes, realise more dreams.

Nuraqilah Fatin Swat has mild intellectual disability but that is not all she has. She also has capabilities and ambitions. A barista at a café chain, she is not content to simply brew coffee. She wants to sharpen her skills in latte art and plans to carve out a career in the food industry.

Not everyone with a disability has the same kind of chance to be employed. Fewer still have the opportunity to pursue a career they are passionate about. In fact, many find transiting from school to work daunting. Those who acquired a disability also often face difficulties re-integrating. Buildings and environments pose obstacles. Employers are not always inclusive or willing to make adjustments in the workplace to accommodate them.

All this can change. You can help. Encourage transition and employment efforts for people with disabilities. They want to maximise their learning and work potential. They want to lead independent lives that have purpose and meaning. They want to contribute to society. With the proper vocational training, with the right job placement, with you on their side, they can.

In kindergarten, she didn’t have any friends. One teacher pinched and hit her in anger. Another, frustrated that she could not follow instructions, crushed her artistic dreams.

But 16-year-old Jolie Lim is neither ill-behaved nor recalcitrant. She has autism, a disability that many still do not understand. All Jolie wants is for society to realise that those with autism are neither weird nor strange. Just different, and even interesting.

People with disabilities are often overlooked, misunderstood, unfairly labelled. They have a harder time being accepted as “one of us”. Many just do not seem to know how to treat them. But people with disabilities deserve to be included. They are part of our community. They are part of our Singapore.

Help us create greater awareness, understanding and empathy. Join us by supporting and sharing stories of our beneficiaries, caregivers and inclusive events held.