Through a Different Lens
At just 23, Claire Teo is breaking barriers and building bridges for a more inclusive society through her work with MWS
MWS Programme Executive Claire Teo is seated in a sparsely furnished room with a group of female youths. She folds an origami figure, and instructs them to reproduce the origami – with their eyes closed and by feeling her paper folds. Grumbles echo around the room, as the girls’ patience wear thin quickly.
The venue is MWS Girls’ Residence (GR), and the participants in the aforesaid activity are at-risk youths undergoing rehabilitation. But Claire is no ordinary teacher and this is no ordinary activity.
Dubbed Magic Touch, the activity is part of the Sensory Disability Awareness programme that Claire develops and runs at MWS GR, where she highlights the different types of disabilities and plans activities that help the residents get more in tune with their bodies and senses.
As a visually-impaired person, the 23-year-old views life through a different lens. “Everything that I do has to have a deeper reason. When I teach the girls how to make origami with their eyes closed, it’s not just for arts and crafts’ sake. It’s to teach them resilience, focus, patience, and that different people have different learning speeds and they have to be more empathetic towards that.”
Already, Claire’s endeavours have borne fruit. “I saw a change in the girls when they started taking the initiative to describe themselves and their movements for me during the activities, and even adapted some of the games we played so that I could play too. These are changes that keep me going,” she said.
Empowerment through art
As a multi-hyphenate, Claire juggles her work at MWS with a career in the performing arts. She is a versatile actor-singer, director, scriptwriter, and educator who teaches at special needs and mainstream schools, performing arts colleges and community spaces.
At MWS GR, she has poured her experience directing theatre productions into developing and running introductory performance workshops.
“In this programme, I taught the girls basic singing, movement and acting skills to build their confidence. It culminated in them writing, directing and acting in their own show. Even though it wasn’t professional work, it was something that they produced together, and I could tell they were proud of it,” she shared.
“The idea is that we are using performing arts for wellness, therapy, self-actualisation and empowerment, so it goes beyond the performance.”
Claire added that she has always wanted to bring her arts to the vulnerable and marginalised. “Working with them fulfils me in ways working with the mainstream community will never because the latter are spoilt for education choices. And because I’m visually impaired, I feel more for those who haven’t been given opportunities,” she said.
Disabled people always say that organisations don’t give them enough opportunities. While that’s true, I’ve also had my fair share of good opportunities given by people who believe that we can be an inclusive society – that even someone disabled can teach the mainstream, the vulnerable and others with disabilities.”
Building a more inclusive society
While Claire confessed that she has “faced discrimination, oppression, and judgment, and been bullied since young”, she takes the challenges of life in her stride.
“Disabled people always say that organisations don’t give them enough opportunities. While that’s true, I’ve also had my fair share of good opportunities given by people who believe that we can be an inclusive society – that even someone disabled can teach the mainstream, the vulnerable and others with disabilities,” she said.
In her own way, Claire has built bridges for a more inclusive society. “I’m the first visually impaired person to have graduated from the LASALLE College of the Arts’ Diploma in Performance course. And now, I’m the first visually impaired person to return to my alma mater and teach a community engagement module,” she said.
“And I thought, this could open more doors for other disabled people. Once they see that this is possible, hopefully, more disabled people will step up and fight for opportunities.”
This desire for a more inclusive society is also what drives Claire’s work for another MWS programme – the Strengthening Families Programme@Family Service Centre (MWS FAM@FSC).
At MWS FAM@FSC, Claire creates audiobook versions of children’s picture books on topics like divorce and stress management, to make it more accessible to the blind and learning disabled.
“All these books shouldn’t just be for the mainstream,” she said. “Healing is for everyone, wellness is for everyone.”
Think you have the ability to make a real difference in society? We want you! Check out our job openings at https://mws.sg/job-opportunities
