About SADeaf

 Deaf-Related Web Links

• DeafBoleh!
• SRCDeaf
• Sign Exact English Center
• RSPHI
• World Federation     of the Deaf (WFD)
• International Committee of Sports for Deaf (ICSD)

Milestones

In the early '50s, the Singapore Red Cross Society began conducting classes for deaf children and provided counseling services for the parents of the children. As the response for classes increased, the Singapore Red Cross Society and the officials of the Social Welfare Department founded the Singapore Association for the Deaf.  The inauguration ceremony was held in Raffles Institution at 5pm on 15^th September.

The 1^st Executive Council meeting was held in the conference room of the Social Work Department at Havelock Road on 30^th September.

1956
The Association mooted the idea of setting up a school for the Deaf at the Executive Council meeting on 10^th February.

1959
The proposal to change the name of the Association to "The Singapore Association for the Deaf" was approved at the Annual General Meeting on 2^nd April.

1963
The Singapore School for the Deaf was established

The Singapore Chinese Sign School for the Deaf and the Oral School for the Deaf merged into one school. The aim was to provide a proper educational curriculum to ensure that deaf children would have equal opportunities in education.

1965
SADeaf co-founded the Children's Charities Association.
 

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The first pre-school group run by volunteers of the Association was started.

1975
The Vocational School for the Handicapped was established (then known as the Vocational Institute for the Handicapped).

In the late '60s, as Singapore focused on developing into an industrial nation, the Executive Council saw opportunities for economic independence for deaf youths. With help from the Vocational Industrial Training Board (now known as the Institute of Technical Education), the Association drafted plans to train skilled workers.  The Vocational School for the Handicapped was established with funds raised by SADeaf.

1976
The "Total Communication" philosophy was adopted.  "Total Communication" uses signs, speech, gestures, speech reading, amplification, finger spelling, and/or other modes of communication to provide linguistic input to deaf children.

1977
The Youth Group for the Deaf was renamed Social Group for the Deaf.  This was to reflect the wider range of activities conducted for the various age groups.

The Vocational Institute for the Handicapped was registered with the Ministry of Education as Vocational School for the Handicapped.

1978
The Social Work Section was established at the Secretariat.

The Signing Exact English system was adopted as the mode of communication and instruction in our affiliated schools.  Signing Exact English II is a system developed in the USA to help teach deaf children the English language.

The first batch of trainees graduated from the Vocational School for the Handicapped.

1980
Mr Poh Yew Tiong initiated the "Microcomputing Club for Hearing-Impaired Persons in Singapore" (Micro-CHIPS).  

This club is now known as Cyberlab.

1983
SADeaf joined the Community Chest of Singapore on 29^th September.

The first International Day of the Deaf was commemorated.

1985
SADeaf joined the World Federation of the Deaf.

1986
The nursery section was opened at the Singapore School for the Deaf.

 A group of Deaf set up the Hi! Theatre, Singapore's Theatre of the Deaf.

1987
The Singapore School for the Deaf was converted into a single-session school and moved to Prince Charles Square from Mountbatten Road. 

The current logo of the Association was adopted.

1988
The Centre for the Hearing-Impaired was established.

The Audiological Services Clinic was established.

1989
The Ministry of Education commenced to provide full funding support for the Singapore School for the Deaf.

 "Sign for Singapore" was staged in primary schools by Hi! Theatre to introduce some 30,000 kids to sign language.

 The Pledge was first signed at the 1989 National Parade by Mr Wilson Ong Woon Sin.
 

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1990 - Present

1990
The Deaf Access Committee was established.  This committee aims to create awareness on various needs of the Deaf through different aspects of communication, publicity and social development.

A Speech Therapy Section was formed at the Singapore School for the Deaf.

SADeaf celebrated its 35^th Anniversary and a sign language book entitled "Sign for Singapore" was launched.

1991
The Ministry of Education commenced full funding support for the Vocational School for the Handicapped.  The one-year Certificate-of-Competency course on Woodwork Machining Operation was introduced.

First public forum, Breaking Barriers, was organised to discuss issues of Deaf Culture, Effective Communication, Interaction and Sign Communication.

1994
Connection to Internet was launched at the Singapore Association for the Deaf and Singapore School for the Deaf.

1995
SADeaf celebrated its 40^th Anniversary.

The Association's website was uploaded

1997
The Social Group for the Deaf became the Sports and Recreation Committee of the Deaf.

A new programme entitled the Certificate of Vocational Training (now known as ITE Skills Certificate) was offered at the Vocational School for the Handicapped

2000
The Singapore Association for the Deaf Hearing Care Centre was officially opened on 6^th May.

The Multi-Sensory Sound Laboratory at the Singapore School for the Deaf was officially opened on 12^th July. 

SADeaf celebrated its 45^th Anniversary, graced by Mrs S R Nathan who became the Patron in the same year. She was once a teacher of the Singapore School for the Deaf.

2003
The first deaf-operated outlet was opened by Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd at Toa Payoh on 14^th March, graced by Mrs S R Nathan

2004
The Itinerant Support Service was set up.  The Itinerant Support Service provided learning and emotional support to the deaf students in mainstream schools.  It is a pilot project supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and National Council of Social Service

2005
SADeaf broke the world record for having over 2,300 participants doing song signing simultaneously. The previous record was held by a school in UK with 1,927 participants.
 

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