Shane Burcaw has heard them all. “What’s wrong with you?” “Why is your head so much bigger than the rest of your body?” “Do people ever make fun of you?”

Unless we’re directly involved, we see autism from a distance. We see it without clarity, distinction, or form. As a team, we knew that going into the production Falling, we would be entering an entirely new world. We did as much research as we could. We spoke with many parents, siblings, and coaches of individuals with autism.

Mohd Yahya Hairdrus may be wheelchair-bound but this has not stopped him from reaching out to others with physical disabilities. To prove that nothing is impossible, the 40-year-old has set up a centre for disabled children in Taman Johor Jaya.

ALL new developments in Petaling Jaya will be required to seek building design approval from the council’s Universal Design Unit (UDU) before applications are accepted for planning approval.

Undoubtedly, her inborn condition has been preparing Amanda Patamakanthin, now 21-year-old alum of The One Academy of Communication Design, for reality as we all know it: gritty and complex.

I am a wheelchair-user who lived abroad for many years. When I first thought about coming back to Singapore to work in 2012, I was most worried about how my future as an architect would be affected by accessibility.

Mickey Rowe is the first autistic actor to play the character with autism—and here’s how he does it.

Daniel Hakimi Mohd Rostam may only be 12 years old, but the budding footballer from Pahang already possesses qualities of a good goalkeeper. Displaying amazing agility and able to perform reflex saves, Daniel Hakimi has been Shahzan Junior football club’s main goalie in both domestic and international competitions since joining the squad four years ago. Unknown to many, however, Daniel Hakimi, who is third of four siblings, has autism and his journey into football has helped him unlock a deep passion for the game.

How does a blind silver medallist runner become a cyclist within three months and earn four golds in a regional cycling competition? Nur Azlia Syafina Mohd Zais, 19, did just that when she took up cycling as a challenge in June, and bagged fours golds – in the women’s 1km, women’s Sprint, women’s 3,000m and the women’s road race – at the 9th Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur in September.

THEY may seem simple but colourful greeting cards are at the heart of a long-term project to benefit the disabled. “Art of Hope uses art to ensure a sustainable source of income for disabled children and their families,” said Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped Selangor and Federal Territory (SSMH) president Fadillah Yakin.