Dear
Members and Friends
The pandemic, the Circuit
Breaker and the phased
re-opening of the economy have
forced us all to take a step
back from our normal day to day
lives. Many people have
refocused on what is important
to them and what is not. The
getting and spending of
pre-pandemic days, with its
wholesale worship of the rat
race and materialism, has been
weighed and found wanting. Much
of what we all did pre-pandemic
was empty, going through the
motions, meaningless and a waste
of time. Good health is back as
our number 1 priority. Many of
us have rediscovered family
life, cooking or taken up baking
(there was a run on flour!).
Others took time to appreciate
and notice nature, enjoy and
photograph sunsets, catch up on
reading or reconnect with family
and friends on zoom.
Our
collective empathy has increased
as evidenced by a renewed
appreciation for the essential
workers who enable our lives
every day and a renewed
awareness of the living
conditions of migrant workers
who build our city. Let us not
lose our increased application
of empathy gained these last few
months. Tough times are ahead
for each of us and we’ll all
need our fellow humans to treat
us with the same level of
empathy and respect that we
expect to receive.
While
I am on this subject, SG
Enable, together with
the Ministry of Social
and Family Development
and the National Council
of Social Services,
have developed a
helpful circular designed to
familiarize frontline staff with
identifying and engaging, with
respect, fellow human beings who
are differently abled.
Part of empathy is putting
ourselves in the shoes of
others. For example, fellow
human beings with visual
impairment may find it harder to
observe safe distancing rules.
We can help them. Face masks
prevent deaf people from lip
reading. We can help them. Those
with autism or intellectual
challenges may feel stressed by
safe-distancing measures and the
repeated Safe Entry check-ins
and outs at different offices or
shops within the same building.
We can help them.
Every
business and each one of us has
a responsibility to play a part
in helping our fellow humans,
who are differently abled, to
navigate these challenges. By
applying the advice in the
helpful circular, we can serve
all customers and deal
empathetically with the people
we meet. It is up to each of us
to create the more inclusive
society we all claim we want. It
is not someone else’s job. It is
ours.
Keep safe and well.
Yours faithfully
Victor Mills
Chief Executive |
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