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HOW COMMON IS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY?
Estimates in the academic literature indicate that persons with intellectual disability comprise 1% — 3% of populations around the world; hundreds of millions of children are daily exposed to risks for cognitive impairment. All nations, communities and socioeconomic groups have significant populations of individuals with intellectual disability.
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In Singapore, there are an estimated 150,000 people with intellectual disabilities.
MEET THE TEAM
SAM LIU
Leader
FORMIDABLE BARRIERS TO INCLUSION
The Japanese Government has made efforts to normalise the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities, as evident in the establishment of a special education system that supports the independence and integration of students with special needs.
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However, public attitudes remain a formidable barrier to the success of these policies. Studies have noted the widespread negative attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities throughout Japan (and worldwide). In a 2003 Special Olympics-commissioned survey spanning 10 countries, 60% of adults believed that students with intellectual disabilities should be educated in special schools.
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A Japanese Middle School Student reflected on the psychological barrier dividing the intellectually disabled community and the wider society, "There is nobody who has an intellectual disability around me, so I don’t know how they actually behave. I draw a clear line between ‘them’ and ‘us.’ I know this is wrong, but I can’t help it."
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The stigmatisation and marginalisation of people with intellectual disabilities in Japan is not foreign to Singapore.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
A global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programmes to empower individuals with intellectual disability.
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In collaboration with Special Olympics Singapore, Project Grace seeks to enhance the potential of athletes with intellectual disabilities and celebrate the human spirit common to all. We believe that millions of acts of inclusion can change negative attitudes and create opportunities to celebrate people with intellectual disabilities.
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
A developmental disorder where the individual faces more difficulty than others in grasping concepts and solving problems. According to the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, an individual has intellectual disability if he or she meets three criteria:
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Deficiency in intelligence (an Intelligence Quotient level of 75 or below)
Limitations in skills needed to live and work in the community (e.g. difficulty in socialising, self-care and self-direction)
Impairments are evident in the individual's developmental period