Environments

Leads: Meng Ee Wong and Kerri Heng (National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

Introduction
Fieldwork
Knowledge Exchange
Outputs
Collaborations and partnerships

Introduction

Fieldwork

Manuscripts in progress

The team is working on three desktop research manuscripts in the following order: (1) Rhetorical Inclusion or Structural Transformation? A Critical Analysis of Disability Representation on Singapore’s Autonomous University Websites, (2) Inclusive Hiring in Higher Education: An Analysis of DEI, Disability, and health in Singapore Universities’ Job Advertisements, and (3) Disability and Health Research in Singapore from a Critical Disability Studies Lens. Data collection (documentation of webpages and job advertisements) for the two DEI manuscripts was completed between May and August 2025. The team is currently submitting the first manuscript to an open access education journal, and is in the writing stage for the second manuscript. Concurrently, they are conducting database searches and reading journal articles for the Critical Literature Review and gathering feedback to improve it, through conference presentations and discussions with fellow scholars. 

Ethics Application and Data Collection Plans

On top of working on the three aforementioned manuscripts, the team submitted the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and gained approval for starting in-depth interviews in answer to the research question for Phase 4 on Environments;  with in-depth interviews commencing in May 2026. The study adopts qualitative methods including interviews with (a) academic or non-academic staff working in universities and (b) researchers with disabilities working in academia or the community and Knowledge Exchange workshops where Singaporean colleagues share good practice within their country context. October 2026 fieldwork update:

• 12 completed in-depth interviews with persons based in Singapore.
• Interviews tended to last about 2.5 hours (on Zoom) on the topic: Exploring the presence (or absence) of disability in research environments
• Participants comprised persons with various disability types working as researchers or admin/support staff in Singapore universities: ADHD, autism, visual impairment, hearing loss, dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, as well as mobility challenges.
• 1 upcoming interview with a Singapore-based disability support officer with Tourette’s syndrome, on 27 October 2026. 

Knowledge Exchange

Running in parallel to the fieldwork, a series of Knowledge Exchange activities invite Singaporean disability researchers and other colleagues from Singaporean universities to explore the productive impact of disability in the university context. The first, Disability Matters Singapore Spring Institute 2026, boasted nine original paper presentations and a workshop that captured examples of anti-ableist practice in Singaporean universities from 24 participants. 

The second, Disability Matters Together Singapore 2026 (28th September to 2nd October),  is an international event that brings together disability studies researchers and disabled people's organisations from Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK. 

During this time we explored connection, community, care and joy: all key aspects of an inclusive environment. As core members of the conference committee team, Prof Wong and Kerri  have pushed us to showcase and capture inclusive philosophies and practices. The event was held at the Enabling Village Singapore. 

The third Disability Matters Singapore Spring Institute 2027, will bring together researchers and practitioners to further share and disseminate research pertaining to inclusive research environments.

Outputs 

The team has maintained an active presence at national and international conferences in 2025 - 2026.  

In October 2026, Prof Wong and Kerri presented their working paper – Disability and Health Research in Singapore from a Critical Disability Studies Lens – at the Singapore Medical Humanities Conference 2026. An introduction to the Disability Matters programme was included in the presentation. 

In September 2026, Kerri also introduced the Disability Matters programme and the Singapore phase to a class of about 40 undergraduates from the Nanyang Technological University Sociology department’s Deviance and Society course, in a guest lecture about her Bachelor’s and Master’s research on sensory disability. 

In June 2026, Prof Wong and Kerri presented at the National Institute of Education’s Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference in July 2026.  

Dr Alan HJ Chan Well-Being Conference 2026 organized by the Singapore University of Social Sciences on 1 and 2 September on the topic: Reframing meritocracy through 'The Power of Enough’: Disability and well-being. 

2^nd Developmental Paediatrics Conference 2026 organized by the Department of Child Development, KK Women's and Children's Hospital on 14 to 16 July, on the topic: Building inclusive futures: The landscape of inclusive education in Singapore.

Prof Wong delivered keynote addresses and presentations at multiple venues including: 

• Vision Rehabilitation Conference 2025 organized by the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped in August on the topic: Stigma Against the Blind and how to Overcome it.
• Re: Define Success Conference 2025 co-organized by the Singapore University of Social Sciences and University of Leeds in September on the topic: Rethinking Merit through the Lens of Disabled Persons Navigating VUCA Environments
• Education Exchange Series organized by the National Library Board and National Institute of Education in November on the topic: No Learner Left Behind: Growing an Inclusive Singapore Together.  
• NUS SSR-TOUCH Conference on Sustained Well-Being in Future-Ready Communities in November with the topic: Layering Technology to Reframe Merit: A Disability-Inclusive Vision for Future-Ready Communities.
• Moderated public forum entitled: Tech Talks: Using Technology to Create Inclusive Spaces at the Singapore Writer's Festival in conjunction with Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology. 
• 6th International Disability Inclusion Symposium on Higher Education and  Careers organized by the University of Tokyo and the University of Hawaii on 12 December 2025 on the topic: Not without us: Perspectives on disability and inclusion

In October, together with Singapore disability scholar Assistant Professor Rachel Chen from Linguistics and Multilingual Studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Kerri presented at the Singapore Health & Biomedical Congress 2025. This presentation, titled "Communicating with Patients with Disabilities," was part of the NTU Medical Humanities Satellite Conference and received positive audience engagement. In September and October, Kerri also gave guest lectures at an NTU Sociology Deviance and Society module, and the National University of Singapore’s Master’s in Urban Planning (NUS MUP) module Qualitative Research for Urban Planning. In these guest lectures, she shared about her Bachelor’s and Master’s research on disability, identity, employment, and education, and also offered insights into improving NUS MUP students’ final research projects on urban planning and Singapore society. 

The Disability Matters Singapore team  presented National Institute of Education Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference in July 2026. 

Prof Wong and Kerri will be giving a presentation at the NTU Medical Humanities conference on 23 October 2026. Kerri will also be attending a fireside chat as part of the same conference, happening in the second week of October 2026.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The project benefits from extensive collaborative networks both locally and internationally. 

Prof Wong is collaborating with Prof. Yeong Wai Yee, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University on the potential opportunities of 3D printing to enhance teaching and learning for persons with visual impairments. The team is beginning first with involving undergraduate students from the NTU URECA programme (Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus).

Prof Wong is collaborating with Prof Victor Zhuang and colleagues on research examining the visually impaired community in Singapore, with data collection scheduled to begin in 2026, as well as on understanding disability through Singapore census data analysis. Kerri is working with the Disability Matters Research Associates and Sandeep Singh on a joint position paper on disability and Open Data –  she is writing about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on Open Data, and will also help out with copyediting the paper. Kerri is also working with disability scholars Rachel Chen from Singapore and Oriane Pierres from Switzerland on research and contributions to Disability Dialogues. 

The team has held a productive meeting with Max Soh from the Disabled People's Association (DPA) and will explore opportunities for deeper collaborations.

Future collaborations under consideration include Prof Wong potentially working to publish two book chapters with Rainbow Centre Singapore on vocational preparation for persons with developmental disabilities as well as with Prof Mika Kataoka from the University of Kagoshima on self-advocacy training for students with developmental disabilities.

Two book chapter manuscripts are currently in-submission:

Kataoka, M. & Wong, M. E. (in-submission). Self-advocacy for students with developmental disabilities training in Japan: Implications for Singapore’s special education landscape.

Wong, M. E. & Goh, C. T. (in-submission). Navigating the cliff effect: Building flexible post-school employment pathways through partnerships in Singapore.

Prof Wong was appointed in April 2025 as Special Educational Needs-Accessibility Coordinator at NIE, NTU. He will oversee the needs of students with SEN.

In April 2026, Prof. Wong was appointed to the ASEAN University Network (AUN) Disability and Public Policy Network’s Executive Board representing Nanyang Technological University. The Executive Board has developed, and in October 2026, launched the ASEAN Inclusive Campus Guideline. This is a framework  to encourage accessible, inclusive and disability-friendly campus to be shared with higher education institutions in the ASEAN region.