Latest news with #disabilityinclusion
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
St. Paul's Interact Center to open new gallery for artists with disabilities
For painter Sarah Armstrong, visual art is a fairly new endeavor. "I grew up singing. I went to college for music education," said Armstrong, a Duluth native who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. "In college I got diagnosed with a mental illness and it changed my world completely, put it on a new path. I tried jobs, I tried volunteering, and nothing clicked until I came to Interact." Armstrong is one of over 70 visual artists working both independently and collaboratively with staff at Interact Center's newly refreshed Visual & Performing Arts Space for Minnesotans along the entire disability spectrum. This Saturday, the nonprofit welcomes the community to its new gallery just 100 feet from the center on Minnehaha Avenue in St. Paul. "We're excited about the future and we're also a little scared because arts funding and Medicaid funding look to be really challenged in the coming years," said Joseph Price, Interact's executive director. Price says the community built at Interact is critical to the visual and performing artists they serve. "If they were to lose it, it would be devastating," said Price. One way to fill potential funding gaps is to sell more art -- at the gallery and online. Every sale is special to Armstrong. "It's an honor. To enter people's homes is incredible," said Armstrong. Artists receive 50% of the sale, which is industry standard. The other 50% goes toward supplies and Interact programming. Price wants patrons to simply see and appreciate the art. "Hopefully not the disability at all…hopefully what people see is the ability," said Price. In her time at Interact, Armstrong is branching out. She painted her first mural, which is going to be used to recognize Interact donors. She believes her life today would be very different if she hadn't discovered Interact three years ago. Interact Renewed: A Grand Opening is Saturday from 1-4pm. It will feature live entertainment by Interact's performing arts cast, music, food and three visual art exhibitions. You can find more information here.
CNA
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
She's making space for artistes with disabilities to shine on Singapore's biggest arts stage
The pre-pandemic 2010s were a blur of excess. ZoukOut transformed beaches into pulsating raves, Marquee re-imagined nightclubbing as an adult theme park replete with a towering slide and Ferris wheel, stadiums heaved with pop and K-pop heavyweights. Audiences demanded bigger names, louder beats, grander spectacles, and the entertainment industry obliged. It was amid this maximalist race that a single quiet voice cut through the noise. A festival and arts producer, Audrey Perera was not interested in big headliners or bright pyrotechnics. Instead, she assembled some 100 of the most diverse artistes with disabilities from 22 nations – many of whom most Singaporeans may not have heard of. There was the Canadian one-armed violin virtuoso Adrian Anantawan; Australian singer Tony Dee, who has cerebral palsy; New Zealand wheelchair dancer Rodney Bell; as well as visually-impaired musicians and wheelchair dancers from Singapore. Together, they launched the first True Colours Festival in March 2018. Presented by UNESCO and the philanthropic Nippon Foundation, ticketed shows drew more than 12,000 people. It was groundbreaking. Shortly after, the world was gripped by the pandemic, and the festival went virtual with film festivals, documentaries and music videos. Then, in 2022, as the world emerged from the pandemic, Perera produced a True Colors live concert in Tokyo, Japan. This year, True Colors is returning to Singapore, from May 30 to Jun 1, 2025, as part ofthis year's Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). A blend of dance, music and behind-the-scenes footage, COLONY – A True Colors Project is inspired by an ant colony. The dance production features a cast of artistes without and with disabilities, including loss of limb, mobility impairments and Down syndrome, from Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines. The storyline revolves around a community of people living in the same tenement. They are different, yet the same – though they don't realise it. It follows the characters' journey as they confront prejudice, fear and conflict those differences stir, ultimately forging a deep human connection. NOT A CHARITY SHOW One thing Perera wants you to know upfront: This is not a charity show. 'The mindset (in Singapore) is, when you see people with disabilities on stage, it's usually in the context of a fundraising show,' the 63-year-old lamented. 'There is nothing wrong with a fundraiser – organisations have to raise funds, and that's one way. 'But it can also be disempowering if you keep putting people with disabilities into that category – to think that first, a sad story about their life must be narrated, then you watch them play the drums badly, and then the cheque book comes out.' Many also think that artistes with disability 'are not at the same level and hence lower their expectations', but that is simply not true, Perera said. 'When you have different bodies performing together, obviously not everybody's going to be technically perfect. But dance is not just about technical perfection. It's about self-expression, communicating emotion through that movement,' she told CNA Women. 'The fact is that in every human, there is the desire, the need to self-express. And dance is a way to self-express. Watching this is very powerful and poignant,' she reflected. But don't watch it through a lens of pity. Artistes with disabilities want to be seen for who they are, not defined by their disability, Perera stressed. 'The thing I'm learning from these artistes is that we are the ones who fixate on their disability. They don't. They get on with their lives. They express themselves, they work, they live, they find their ways around the disability,' she said. That is also how the True Colours Festival in 2018 got its name. And no, it has nothing to do with the well-known Cyndi Lauper song. At that time, Perera was struck by something two artistes with disabilities from different parts of the world said in separate media interviews. 'They said that although social media appears to have made the world more connected, it actually had the opposite effect because it was dictating what was acceptable and cool. As a result, people like them did not feel welcome at the table – they never get to show their 'true colours',' she said. Perera wanted to give them that platform. 'The reality is, more than 15 per cent of human society is made up of people who have a disability, according to the United Nations,' the producer noted. 'If we are saying that one role of art is to reflect society, shouldn't this be more represented on mainstream stages?' she asked. This diversity better showcases the full spectrum of human experiences. Disability or no, humans are by nature unique and diverse, reflected Perera. 'Conformity is an enforced condition.' But art has the power to cut through those barriers, she said. As a journalist and editor, Perera went on a media trip to Australia three decades ago for the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival. She vividly remembers watching Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a singer from Pakistan, performing religious music in Arabic to a predominantly white, Australian audience. 'Nobody understood a word he sang. But the power of his voice and emotions crossed all the barriers. I felt like this voice was coming from a higher power through him. The crowd was rapt, and asked for encore after encore until he couldn't perform anymore. He was on the verge of collapse. I was very struck,' she reminisced. At the same festival, Perera watched Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo performing in Pali (the scriptural language of a branch of Buddhism). 'She is very small-sized and looked tiny on stage. But she sang with a beautiful voice, clear as a bell. This was 1am in the morning, and there was pin-drop silence. I wish more people could experience this feeling of connection,' she recalled. Later, when Perera interviewed the founder of WOMAD, she learnt that he wanted to bring WOMAD to Singapore. Though she had no festival-producing experience, she volunteered for the job. Returning to Singapore, Perera began knocking on doors and pitching the idea. Many doors slammed in her face. But by sheer determination, three years later, she pulled it off. In 1998, Perera launched the inaugural WOMAD, a four-day festival that took place at Fort Canning Park. 'I remember the opening night (of WOMAD in Singapore), there was a group from Scotland called Shooglenifty that played the fiddle. I wondered if anybody would dance because in Australia, New Zealand, UK, (festival-goers) danced. But I knew Singapore was a tough audience – shy. 'At the opening beats, people already went up to the front to dance! It was a thing of beauty to see people feeling free and un-self-conscious enough to just dance,' she smiled. Over the years, Perera presented Hungarian musicians and Burundi drummers to Singapore audiences. 'I feel that it is important to be in a space where we appreciate art and culture beyond our CMIO (Chinese Malay India Others) script,' she reflected. Before leading the True Colours Festival, she produced several smaller festivals, all while raising her now 25-year-old daughter. 'I want to create spaces and worlds that take people out of their everyday world and uplift them – where they can experience moments of joy, connection and exhilaration,' she said. Live performances are powerful, she added. 'You are in the presence of hundreds of people who are experiencing a whole welter of emotions, just like you. It makes you feel more connected to everybody else.' In the fractured world we live in right now – divided by trade wars, protectionist policies and fear – Perera said such connection and collaboration are more vital than ever before.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Jillian Gendal Helps Dancers with Disabilities Shine in the Spotlight
ARMONK, NY, UNITED STATES, May 27, 2025 / / -- Jillian Gendal is empowering young dancers with disabilities to take the stage through her initiative, Spotlight . The program is dedicated to raising money and awareness for Dancing Dreams , a New York City-based non-profit that ensures every dancer, regardless of ability, has the chance to shine. Gendal's efforts have already made a tangible impact, providing new costumes for 41 students for their Spring recital. 'Ever since I was a kid, I've loved dancing on stage,' Gendal shared. 'But performing is a privilege. Not everyone has access to the resources and support to do so, especially children with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities.' Gendal began supporting Dancing Dreams in 7th grade, donating money to the organization as part of her mitzvah project. More recently, she launched Spotlight to further her impact. She originally hoped to volunteer directly with disabled teens through a weekly one-on-one mentor program. However, the program's location in Queens limited her from doing so. Instead, she explored bringing the program to her local Westchester community but faced challenges with meeting the necessary physical therapy safety requirements. Undeterred, Gendal shifted her focus to what she could do from home: support the program's end-of-year recital on May 18th so the dancers would feel as special as possible. In just a few months, she raised over $1,000 to purchase brand new costumes for six classes of dancers, most of whom come from families with limited financial resources. 'Costumes and other props are a luxury,' explained Gendal. 'Without donations, the children are stuck with homemade costumes or previously used ones.' Wearing new costumes not only boosts the children's confidence, but it also gives their parents a sense of pride as they witness what their children have been able to achieve. 'There are really no other programs like this—where kids with varying degrees of disabilities can dance alongside one another,' Gendal said. 'It's incredibly rewarding to help them do what I've always loved. I'm so happy I get to be part of making these dancers feel special.' Gendal is already fundraising for next year's recital. To learn more about Spotlight or to donate, visit . ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ About Jillian Gendal Jillian Gendal is a junior at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York, where she is a member of Mu Alpha Theta and consistently earns High Honor Roll. She is also a member of the Student Wellness Advisory Committee, Youth Against Cancer, The Oracle (the school newspaper), the Student Grading Committee, and the Student Athletic Leadership Team—many of which she has participated in since her freshman year. A lifelong dancer and creative spirit, Gendal competes on the Senior team at the Armonk Center for Dance and works as a dance counselor at Raquette Lake Girls Camp. She recently completed AP Graphic Design and will take AP Photography next year to further explore her interest in digital art. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Media Contact Jillian Gendal Spotlight [email protected] Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Hospitality Net
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Ascott and CapitaLand Hope Foundation Partner with Save the Children to Empower 160 Children and Youths with Disabilities through S$400,000 Initiative
Bangkok/Singapore – The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), is advancing its disability inclusion efforts with a contribution of S$400,000 to global non-profit organisation Save the Children. This initiative is funded by CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), the philanthropic arm of CapitaLand Group, under its CapitaLand AccessABLE Programme. The donation will support two programmes in Thailand and the United Kingdom, benefitting 160 children and youths with disabilities by equipping them with essential skills, confidence and opportunities to participate in social, educational and economic activities. In Thailand, the Ascott–Save the Children partnership is supporting the development of a tailored skills curriculum for 60 visually impaired youths, equipping them with tools for long-term success in the workforce. The programme focuses on workplace readiness, covering key skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving. By the end of the programme, around half of the participants are expected to secure employment with Dots Coffee – a leading social enterprise run entirely by individuals with visual impairments – while the rest will continue to receive job placement support. In the United Kingdom, the collaboration supports the Sheffield Community Bus Project, a mobile inclusion hub serving approximately 100 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families who are living below the poverty line. The bus delivers targeted workshops and essential services, helping children with SEND access educational and social opportunities in their communities. The initiative aims to reduce barriers to inclusion and bring support directly to underserved families in their own neighborhoods. Disability inclusion is central to our Ascott CARES sustainability framework, and our partnership with Save the Children builds on this commitment. It enables us to extend our culture of care and respect beyond our properties into the wider community, empowering children and youths with disabilities to build confidence and live with dignity. This initiative also complements our broader collaboration with SG Enable – Singapore's focal agency for disability and inclusion – to enhance disability inclusion across physical spaces, programmes, hiring, digital platforms and training. These efforts will culminate in the launch of a dedicated disability inclusion course for hospitality professionals at the Ascott Centre for Excellence in Singapore, alongside a global playbook in the second half of 2025. The playbook will provide a unified framework for disability inclusion across Ascott's properties worldwide, combining inclusive design principles with a supportive workplace culture to create truly welcoming environments for both guests and associates. Beh Siew Kim, Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, Lodging, CLI, and Managing Director, Japan and Korea, Ascott, who is also a Board Director of CHF We are honoured to work with Ascott and CHF to help break down the barriers that may hinder visually impaired youth from finding meaningful work. Through this partnership, we are developing and piloting a life skills training programme tailored for youth with visual impairments – helping them build confidence and key abilities such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving to thrive in the workplace and in life. This initiative is not just about preparing youth for jobs; it is about changing perceptions and creating a more inclusive society. Mr Guillaume Rachou, Executive Director, Save the Children Thailand Ms Rachel Parkin, Head of England, Save the Children UK, said: Thanks to the generous funding from Ascott and CHF, Save the Children UK and the Sheffield Early Learning Community are working alongside the community to co-design an accessible, inclusive and family-centred 'Community Bus' in Shirecliffe. This initiative will help address the challenges faced by children with special educational needs and disabilities and ensure families can access the support they need, in their community. Through this partnership, we are creating lasting change for children and families who experience multiple challenges . Mr Tan Seng Chai, Executive Director of CHF and Senior Advisor, CLI, said: CHF is committed to build resilience in communities where CapitaLand operates, through supporting initiatives that promote education, health and well-being for children, youth and seniors. Through the CapitaLand AccessABLE Programme, we aim to enrich the lives of persons with disabilities by enhancing their independent living skills, fostering social engagement and helping them realise their full potential. The collaboration between Ascott and Save the Children also creates meaningful opportunities for Ascott staff to contribute directly, from identifying accessibility barriers to co-developing practical solutions. These hands-on experiences deepen CapitaLand's strong culture of volunteerism and reflect how our people are actively shaping real, lasting change on the ground. The partnership was officially announced at a special concert held at Somerset Rama 9 Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, 17 May 2025, in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) observed globally on 15 May 2025. Featuring orchestral and mime performances by artists with disabilities, the event drew about 100 attendees and highlighted disability inclusion efforts within Thailand's arts and hospitality sectors. Proceeds from ticket sales were used to donate wheelchairs to the Foundation for Children with Disabilities (Thailand) and white canes to the Thai Blind People's Foundation. As part of the event, Dots Coffee also set up a kiosk to promote its business and highlight its inclusive employment model, which empowers individuals with visual impairments through meaningful work in the F&B sector. In conjunction with GAAD, Ms Beh Siew Kim also participated in a fireside chat titled 'Building Inclusive Spaces: The Singapore Experience', hosted by SG Enable at the Singapore Pavilion during World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. She shared Ascott's approach to advancing accessibility across its global operations through inclusive design, programming and staff engagement. Advancing Disability Inclusion and Community Engagement The partnership with Save the Children complements Ascott's ongoing commitment to disability inclusion under its Ascott CARES sustainability framework. As highlighted in its latest Sustainability Report 2024, Ascott continues to champion inclusion through programmes that empower persons with disabilities and promote meaningful societal participation. In Singapore, more than 130 Ascott associates volunteered with Rainbow Centre to deliver interactive activities that strengthen the social and emotional skills of children with special needs. In China, over 400 individuals, including youths with autism and their family members, have benefitted from Ascott-led career immersion and arts programmes developed in partnership with CHF, which will expand in 2025 to include music and vocational training. As the Official Global Hotels Partner of Chelsea Football Club, Ascott hosted the Southeast Asia debut of The Famous CFC global fan tour in Singapore in late 2024. The event featured coaching clinics led by Chelsea coaches and club legend Gianfranco Zola, with participants from SportCares, the philanthropic arm of Sport Singapore, and Singapore Disability Sports Council. A charity auction featuring shirts autographed by Chelsea players also raised funds for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund, which supports persons with disabilities. For more information on these initiatives, please refer to The Ascott Limited Sustainability Report 2024, which outlines Ascott's actions and progress towards its Ascott CARES vision of building a greener, more inclusive future. About The Ascott Limited Since pioneering Asia Pacific's first international-class serviced residence with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984, Ascott has grown to be a trusted hospitality company with more than 940 properties globally. Headquartered in Singapore, Ascott's presence extends across more than 220 cities in over 40 countries in Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA. Ascott's diversified accommodation offerings span serviced residences, co-living properties, hotels and independent senior living apartments, as well as student accommodation and rental housing. Its award-winning hospitality brands include Ascott, Citadines, lyf, Oakwood, Quest, Somerset, The Crest Collection, The Unlimited Collection, Preference, Fox, Harris, POP!, Vertu and Yello; and it has a brand partnership with Domitys. Through Ascott Star Rewards (ASR), Ascott's loyalty programme, members enjoy exclusive privileges and offers at participating properties. A wholly owned business unit of CapitaLand Investment Limited, Ascott is a leading vertically-integrated lodging operator. Harnessing its extensive network of third-party owners and in-market expertise, Ascott grows fee-related earnings through its hospitality management and investment management capabilities. Ascott also expands its funds under management by growing its sponsored CapitaLand Ascott Trust and private funds. For more information on Ascott's industry record of 40 years and its sustainability programme, please visit Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) is a leading global real estate investment manager (REIM) with a strong Asia foothold. As at 30 September 2023, CLI had S$133 billion of real estate assets under management, and S$90 billion of real estate funds under management (FUM) held via six listed real estate investment trusts and business trusts, and more than 30 private vehicles across Asia Pacific, Europe and USA. Its diversified real estate asset classes cover retail, office, lodging, business parks, industrial, logistics and data centres. CLI aims to scale its FUM and fee-related earnings through fund management, lodging management and its full stack of operating capabilities, and maintain effective capital management. As the investment management arm of CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand's development arm. As a responsible company, CLI places sustainability at the core of what it does and has committed to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions for scope 1 and 2 by 2050. CLI contributes to the environmental and social well-being of the communities where it operates, as it delivers long-term economic value to its stakeholders. Visit for more information. View source
Globe and Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
‘We are not a priority': Disability advocates say lack of minister sends a message
The lack of a minister for disabilities threatens to sideline the needs of millions of Canadians during what Mark Carney promises will be a period of transformation, advocates said Wednesday. The prime minister announced his smaller, 'purpose-built' cabinet meant to deliver change on Tuesday, but the 38-member team doesn't include anyone explicitly responsible for representing the interests of disabled Canadians. 'Not having big and bold disability inclusion and accessibility as part of a ministerial portfolio headline sends a message,' said Rabia Khedr, national director of Disability Without Poverty. 'Unfortunately, people with disabilities are being left behind.' She worries there won't be improvements to the Canada Disability Benefit, which offers a maximum of $200 per month to those eligible. That's not enough to accomplish the government's goal of lifting disabled Canadians out of poverty, she said. 'According to the government's own data, it will lift 25,000 people out of poverty, when we know that there's 1.6 million Canadians living with disabilities in poverty,' she said. 'We got the legislation, great. We made history after a lot of work. We got the budget but it was really disappointing. The regulations were adopted, but there's still work to be done to make them as robust as they should be.' The benefit is set to start rolling out on July 1, and the previous Liberal government committed in its fall economic update to making sure it was tax-exempt. That still needs to be done, and without a disability minister, it's not clear who will champion the initiative. There's also the question of the Accessible Canada Act, a piece of legislation that was passed in 2019 with the goal of making Canada 'barrier-free' by 2040. It's already woefully behind schedule, she said. 'The Accessible Canada Act truly needs a champion at the cabinet table to ensure that the Disability Inclusion Action Plan (developed in 2022) is indeed adopted through a whole-of-government approach, advancing accessibility in all facets of governing this country,' she said. David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, said the need for a disability minister goes beyond accessibility-specific legislation. 'This is a prime minister who has an ambitious goal of restructuring Canada's economy, building new infrastructure and restructuring the federal government,' he said. 'They're huge goals. More than ever, that's when you need a strong voice because people with disabilities so often get left out, get forgotten.' Take the issue of housing, for instance. 'We've heard tons of talk about housing and needing to increase the amount of housing in Canada – affordable housing. What they don't talk about is the need for a dramatic increase in the amount of accessible housing. We have an accessible housing shortage that is a crisis,' he said. Lepofsky said he remembers what it was like trying to advocate for accessibility before 2015, when the disability minister role was created, and he fears returning to that era. 'If you don't have a voice at the cabinet table, if you don't have a cabinet minister who could walk over to the prime minister – as a minister – and have a direct conversation about needing more action, you are really in a far more vulnerable position,' he said. Representatives for the Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the criticism, or which cabinet member would be responsible for accessibility legislation. Heidi Janz, a disability advocate and adjunct professor at the University of Alberta, said that in Carney's interim cabinet, which was in place from the time he became prime minister following the Liberal leadership race until the election campaign, the disability file fell to the employment minister. 'The danger of linking disability with employment is that the only disability issue becomes how to get disabled people employed,' she said. 'Linking disability with employment is missing the whole point of having a disability minister.' Krista Carr, CEO of Inclusion Canada, said she believes the disability file will now fall to Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu, who, she notes 'has a huge department now because that department used to have multiple ministers under it.' 'What we need is every minister and every secretary of state and every department to be thinking about how their legislation, their policies, their programs, their funding, their budgets, their whatever will impact people with disabilities,' Carr said. Deborah Gold, CEO of the Toronto-based non-profit Balance for Blind Adults, said she worries the lack of a dedicated disabilities minister is indicative of this government's overall priorities. 'It's more of a fiscal-oriented government,' she said. 'I'm concerned that it may speak to a shift away from the social policy ... of the previous Liberal government.'
