S'pore's state gifts crafted by the disabled: From hand-bound journals to scarves

SINGAPORE - From hand-bound journals to scarves featuring designs by artists with visual impairments, the Istana has been giving out state gifts crafted by the disabled to visiting dignitaries.

President Halimah Yacob posted on Facebook in December that the Istana commissioned these gifts through i'mable Collective, an initiative that showcases works from people with disabilities.

One of the craftsmen is Mr Gan Boon Leong, 73, who has been paralysed from the waist down since age 20 after an operation for a spinal cord injury.

He suffered a few years of depression before securing employment at SPD, formerly known as the Society for the Physically Disabled. Now, he is a master craftsman with 50 years under his belt at the organisation - 20 of which he spent binding notebooks and journals.

The journals that Mr Gan and his team make are among the state gifts that are given to dignitaries and guests during their visit to the Istana or when the President travels officially overseas.

"It makes me feel happy that our books are in the Istana because the guests get to see the crafts that we are making here," said Mr Gan.

He works alongside a team of three other craftsmen to make the journals. Tasks like cutting, hand-binding and hot stamping are shared among the team members.

The journals and other state gifts are curated by i'mable Collective, which was launched in 2019 by SG Enable to foster collaborations between artists with disabilities and creative or enterprise partners to develop merchandise and services.

A scarf featuring a design by two artists with visual impairments - Ms Katy Lee, 71, and Ms Adeline Vejaletchmy, 59, from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) - is among the other state gifts commissioned. The scarf was part of a gift set that was presented to President Halimah during Singapore's National Day Parade in 2020.

Ms Lee has been creating art and handicrafts for the past 20 years, after joining SAVH to learn how to be independent. She lost her vision in the right eye in 1995 after an operation to remove a tumour in her optic nerve, and has tunnel vision in her left eye.

She said that there were no words to describe how overjoyed and grateful she felt having her work included among the gifts commissioned.

"Personally, it's also very meaningful to me because it helps to raise public awareness of what the visually impaired can contribute to the community," she said.

"We do not in any way let our disability hamper our contributions," she added.

President Halimah shared pictures of the journal, leather valet tray and a gold-rim porcelain plaque in her Facebook post in December.

She said: "i'mable Collective aims to showcase and market the creative works of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Through the collective, they will be given opportunities to hone their skills and sell their craft.

"I am glad that the collective is benefiting PWDs and encourage everyone to support them."

Though the state gifts are not for sale, the public can buy other crafts and gifts made by those with disabilities on i'mable Collective's partner organisation websites such as SPD Artisan's Collab and Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped.