People with disabilities today enjoy concessionary rates when they take public transport. This was not always the case. Following years of lobbying, the Government had a change of heart in 2014. And the person who was the face of this fight for a more compassionate Singapore was a woman – Reena Rajasvari.
Reena, at first, could not accept that she was blind, and she had to give up her teaching career. All of this made her to go into a depression and she even attempted suicide a few times. But a visit to a home for persons with multiple disabilities was her turning point. She has been lobbying for public transport subsidy since 1999. In her quest, she met a few Members of Parliament and also wrote to the various government agencies and the public transport operators. When all her efforts appeared to be in vain, she rolled-up her sleeves and galvanised a community of persons with different disabilities to push hard for change.
Reena found allies in human rights groups like MARUAH, as well as the media . She told her story in a clear manner which won many hearts and minds towards their cause. The efforts of Sylvia did not go unrecognized. When GE2011 came around, Reena organised two of her friends with disabilities to attend the WP rally to garland Sylvia, to thank her for lobbying for transport subsidy for persons with disabilities in Parliament.
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