‘Special needs’ – what does it mean to you?
People with special needs refer to people who are unable to complete basic tasks in daily living. Because they are living with a mental disorder or physical impairment.
Ladies and gentlemen. Do you have a friend with special needs? I am one. I am a person with special needs. I can’t complete tasks as simple as walking as I can’t even move the toes of my right foot, and I need a bulky walking frame or a wheelchair to move around.
But I was not born like this. I was born healthy and chubby in 1966. At 32, my world crumbled, and dreams shattered, all because of the following words by a doctor “we found a mass in your brain”.
After listening to what the doctor said I was speechless, couldn’t believe it was the case, brain tumors were so rare, how could I be the one to strike the lottery? My mind wasn’t thinking, as I tried to exit the car park at the entry point.
After two brain surgeries in 2 years, complications force me to live with paralysis. That’s how I become a person with special needs. In Malaysia people with special needs are known as OKU – orang kurang upaya translated as less capable people.
Usually, I use the walking frame when I am at home, and the wheelchair when venturing out.
The use of a wheelchair has caused me great inconvenience. Mostly due to the so-called accessibility issues;
Ideal accessibility would include; rams with the correct gradient, elevators, special toilets – with the necessary fittings like handrails, and doors with at least 30 inches wide.
There was an incident a few years ago. During a trip to Terengganu, the wheels of my wheelchair got stuck in a hole, and without realizing it I propelled the wheelchair forward. The next second I saw blue sky, and my feet in the air because the wheelchair had tilted over, eventually, I saw stars even with my eyes closed and found a bump behind my head.
There were countless times, I hurt my fingers while trying to enter or exit doors that are too narrow for wheelchairs plus the fingers.
Another inconvenience I encounter often is in transportation.
Due to epilepsy, I don’t drive. I rely on e-hailing services.
A kind and helpful Grab driver would get down and ask; How can I help you? Is this wheelchair yours? Ok, I will load it in the boot. And patiently learned how to handle a wheelchair.
However, a bad-attitude driver would o ask; you got nobody to help you meh. This car boot is too small to load the wheelchair. I offered: can put it in the back seat also. Can you guess the reply? I don’t want to dirty or scratch my car cushion. You cancel this booking and book a 6-seater next.
To involve more people with special needs in the community, first, we must facilitate a fully accessible environment. Accessible facilities do not benefit people with special needs only, but also the elderly, pregnant women, and parents with a stroller.
Expecting all people with special needs to bring an assistant with them all the time is both unrealistic and unsustainable. Cost aside, everybody should be allowed to live the lifestyle he/she chooses.
It all boils down to awareness, compassion, and empathy at all levels in our society. Particularly those in decision-making positions.
Thank you.
Speaker’s Profile
I am Jackie Ng, a brain tumor survivor living with paralysis. I joined PJ SS2 Mandarin Toastmasters Club in July 2021 and Short & Sweet Toastmasters Club in September 2021. The purpose I joined Toastmasters was to reduce the weaknesses in my speech. I am satisfied with my progress thus far.
Feedback for the Speaker
I appreciate your effort in delivering a speech about the challenges faced by people with special needs. Your speech was clear and informative, and you used personal stories to illustrate the points you made. Your use of language was appropriate and effective in conveying your message.
Some of the strengths of your speech include the use of storytelling. You used your personal experiences to draw in the audience and make your points more relatable. You also used a good amount of detail to give the audience a better understanding of the issues faced by people with special needs. Additionally, you used a conversational tone to make your speech more engaging.
There are some areas of improvement for your speech. Firstly, you could have used more pauses to create emphasis on certain points. For example, you could have paused after phrases such as “Brain tumors were so rare, how could I be the one to strike the lottery?” to create a greater impact on the audience. Additionally, you could have used more rhetorical questions to encourage audience engagement. For example, you could have asked “What can be done to make our environment more accessible for people with special needs?”
Overall, you have done a great job in delivering your speech. Keep up the good work, and practice using more pauses and rhetorical questions to make your speech even more engaging!