Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) is a
voluntary welfare organisation
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definitio ...
based in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, that provides services for the
intellectually disabled
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation,Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signific ...
. MINDS was founded in 1962, and remains one of the largest charities in Singapore. Over 600 staff and 2,400 beneficiaries are a part of MINDS. Two other organisations, the
Association for Persons with Special Needs
Association may refer to:
*Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal
*Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry
*Voluntary associatio ...
and
Metta School
Metta may refer to:
Buddhism
* Maitrī
''Maitrī'' (Sanskrit; Pali: ''mettā'') means benevolence, loving-kindness,Warder (2004), pp. 63, 94. friendliness,Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 540, entry for "Mettā," retrieved 2008-04-29 from ...
were formed as an offshoot of MINDS.
History
In 1960, the
Singapore Children's Society
Singapore Children's Society (Chinese: 新加坡儿童会) protects and nurtures children and youth of all races and religions. In 2018, the Society reached out to 78,433 children, youth and families in need.
Established in 1952, its services h ...
initiated several educational and training programmes for intellectually disabled children, leading to the formation of the Singapore Association for Retarded Children (SARC) in 1962.
[Country Report 1980 (Singapore)]
", Group Training Course on Intellectual Disabilities.
, St Gabriel's Secondary Special Needs Centre. Archived fro
on 29 October 2011. Medical social worker
Daisy Vaithilingam
Daisy Vaithilingam (1925 - 6 August 2014) was a Singaporean social worker. Vaithilingam was involved with setting up foster care and children's programs for the intellectually disabled in Singapore. She was one of the founders of the organization ...
was involved in the creation of the group. Along with Vaithliningam, other participants in the creation of MINDS were Warren Fox, Ena Aeria, and Freda Paul.
After running the pilot project with the go-ahead of the Singapore Children's Society, they applied for funding from the Rotary Club and received a grant of $10,000.
Beginning with only two teachers and 26 students in a single classroom in Towner Road,
[Vivi Zainol, "Serving the intellectually disabled", ''The Straits Times'', 27 August 2005.][April Chong, "Special school in Sengkang opens", ''The Straits Times'', 18 July 2009.] the new association rapidly expanded over the 1960s, building special schools at Margaret Drive and
Jurong
Jurong () is a major geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the planning areas of Jurong East, Jurong West, Boon Lay, and ...
, a sheltered workshop at
Geylang
Geylang is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west.
Geylang is perha ...
, a residential home at
Tampines
Tampines () is the regional centre of the East Region of Singapore. With a population of 265,340 living across its five subzones, it is the second-most populous planning area in Singapore, according to the DOS Population Trends 2022. It is h ...
as well as their main administration centre, Lee Kong Chian Centre.
SARC started a subcommittee for services for those with less severe intellectual disabilities in 1971 and a youth volunteering group the year after;
[MINDS Youth Group – Celebrating 35 Years of Volunteerism]
", Group Training Course on Intellectual Disabilities. the subcommittee was split into an independent organisation, the Association for the Educationally Subnormal (AESN), in 1976.
[Mardiana Abu Bakar, "Minds over matter", ''The Straits Times'', 17 June 1993.] In 1983 SARC launched the first early intervention programme in Singapore, prompting other organisations to follow suit
and set up an adjunct subcommittee that became Special Olympics Singapore.
Since the term "
retarded" had acquired negative connotations and the organisation had started services for adults, SARC changed their name to the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) in 1985.
["Minds to help disabled grow with the times", ''The Straits Times'', 12 June 1985.] In 1987, the organisation benefitted by being primarily funded from
The Community Chest of Singapore
The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Social and Family Development of the Government of Singapore.
The organisation is the national coordinating body for Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO ...
,
and in 1993 MINDS became the largest voluntary welfare organisation in Singapore, with AESN in second place.
Relocation of the MINDS special schools, from premises of closed-down primary schools to new buildings with customised facilities, began in 1998. The association started their first social enterprise, a car washing service along Pasir Panjang Road, in 2001. Their residential homes and training centres were merged into the MINDSville@Napiri centre, which opened in 2007,
["Trusteeship scheme for kids with intellectual disability taking shape", Channel NewsAsia, 14 April 2007.] and the relocation programme was completed two years later.
They run four
special schools
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
and a centre called MINDSville@Napiri which offers therapy and
residential care
Residential care refers to long-term care given to adults or children who stay in a residential setting rather than in their own home or family home.
There are various residential care options available, depending on the needs of the individual. P ...
. Other MINDS services include
sheltered workshops,
social enterprises, and
day activity centre. MINDS generates yearly expenses of 21 million Singapore dollars, as of 2005.
In 2022, MINDS opened the Minds Hub (Central) on Queens Road to provide a variety of services.
Activities
MINDS runs four special schools for intellectually disabled students aged 4 to 18, who are taught various
life skills, such as
personal grooming and money management. They are also taken on outings to learn how to handle common tasks, such as buying groceries and taking public transport. Students undergo
physiotherapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
, pre-
vocational training, as well as basic instruction in some mainstream academic subjects, including languages, mathematics, art, and science.
[April Chong, "Special school in Sengkang opens", ''The Straits Times'', 18 July 2009.] To help the intellectually disabled gain employment, MINDS trains them for
simple sorting and packing jobs at sheltered workshops, then negotiates contracts with potential employers: for example, some were hired by
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
to recycle headsets. The organisation also manages several social enterprises, including a
thrift shop, a car washing service, a food catering company, and a performing arts troupe, that increase employment opportunities for the intellectually disabled.
[Vivi Zainol, "Serving the intellectually disabled", ''The Straits Times'', 27 August 2005.]
Under the MINDS Trusteeship Scheme, parents of the intellectually disabled can deposit their savings into a trust account, safeguarded by the
public trustee, and after they die, MINDS ensures the money is used to fund caregiving of the beneficiary. Other MINDS services, including
counselling,
behaviour therapy and
rehabilitation
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
, are concentrated at their integrated service centre called MINDSville@Napiri. The centre contains a nursing home for adults with high support needs, another home for intellectually disabled children from
broken families, and a hostel, which provides flexible accommodation options for clients who need less-intensive care.
["Trusteeship scheme for kids with intellectual disability taking shape", Channel NewsAsia, 14 April 2007.] In addition, volunteers from the MINDS Youth Group conduct weekly educational, social, and recreational activities, such as swimming classes and singing sessions, for around 170 intellectually disabled people.
[MINDS Youth Group – Celebrating 35 Years of Volunteerism]
, Group Training Course on Intellectual Disabilities.
Awards
MINDS has won several awards, including the 2001 President's Social Service Award from the
National Council of Social Service
The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Social and Family Development of the Government of Singapore.
The organisation is the national coordinating body for Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO ...
and the 2010 Singapore Health Award (Gold) by the
Health Promotion Board
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Health of the Government of Singapore. It was established in 2001 to act as the main driver for national health promotion and disease prevention programmes.
School ...
.
Management
The organisation is headed by Chairman Augustine Lee and Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Koh,
Member Societies
, Singapore Children's Charities. who lead a 15-member executive committee with 10 subcommittees that meet monthly to discuss problems and plan new programmes.
To support events and advocate for the inclusion of People with Intellectual Disability (PWIDs), MINDS is supported by over 4000 volunteers, including corporate and non-corporate members.
References
External links
MINDS official website
{{Authority control
Disability organisations based in Singapore
Singaporean voluntary welfare organisations