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These three sports barely make up 1% of the total sports offered in Singapore. With roughly
92 gyms and over a hundred sports options, there's definitely something for everyone.
In recent years, our society has seen an increase in leading an active lifestyle. With this
continuous growth, achieving Singapore's 2030 sports vision is easy.
Meet 19-year-old Jarran who was diagnosed with William's syndrome and has abnormal curvature
of the spine. Despite this, he trains every weekend with Running Hour, an inclusive running
club. But how was life like before joining Running Hour and what difference did running
make to his life?
Jarran: Play computer game, sweep floor, mop floor and help my dad to do a lot of things
Jarran: They make me more stronger, and more healthy
Sadly, Jarran is one of the lucky few. Of 250,000 Persons with Disabilities in Singapore,
only a fraction actively participates in sports.
Yet, we all know the benefits of exercising. Preventing illnesses, improvements in general
health, social integration, raising self-esteem and more. So why is there a low participation
rate in sports for Persons with Disabilities?
We identified the main barrier to be the lack of interaction and understanding between society
and Persons with Disabilities, resulting in accessibility issues, unsupportive and non-inclusive
environments.
Common situations in gyms will see cramped machines and small toilet cubicles, information
not available in alternative formats and instances where Persons with Disabilities are denied
entrance to the gym. Trainers are not trained to communicate and support the needs of Persons
with Disabilities.
To rectify this, we present to you Singapore's first ever-disabled friendly gym, M.A.D Lab.
M.A.D Lab is about cultivating an environment where interaction, inclusion and mutual support
is encouraged, hence improving the level of understanding and empathy towards Persons
with Disabilities.
Featuring uncommon training equipment and offering numerous sports options, this gym
not only combats the problem of limited sporting options but also improves current gym environments
by tackling most accessibility issues, making it convenient for any Person With Disabilities.
This is the beginning of a movement, a collective effort where everyone accepts each other on
equal terms and takes another stride towards that big dream of an inclusive society.
Our motivation is simple. We believe that being disabled should not mean being disqualified
from having access to every aspect of life.
Support M.A.D Lab, for every Person With Disabilities, for a more inclusive future.
For more information, please visit www.strikingly.com/madlab