"When you focus on someone's disability, you'll overlook their abilities, beauty and uniqueness."


 ― Yvonne Pierre.


Shernise with her older sister, Shannon

 


Shernise’s journey began with her sister, who was born with Down syndrome. Shernise witnessed the challenges her sister faced, from unkind reactions in public to disapproving looks when she took a longer time taking the escalator. Initially, Shernise’s protective instincts stirred anger within her, but she soon realised these reactions were a result of a lack of awareness about Persons with Special Needs.

This realisation ignited Shernise’s passion to raise awareness and foster a more inclusive society. She was determined to change perceptions and help the general public see Persons with Special Needs as equals.

Shernise's volunteering efforts began with a reading programme at the Down Syndrome Association for children with Down Syndrome. After watching a play titled “Falling”, which highlighted the challenges faced by families raising Autistic teenagers who had high support needs, her interest in the Autism community grew. The play motivated Shernise to learn more about autism and eventually influenced her career choice as a school teacher for students with Autism.

Despite being a teacher, Shernise realised her exposure to the special needs community was still limited. She hopes to make a meaningful impact across the different spectrums and conditions in the community. 

“When you meet one person with Autism, you just meet one.”

This led her to pursue volunteering opportunities that would allow her to make a bigger impact on the community. It was during this time she recognised the significance of advocacy in promoting inclusivity and understanding for Persons with Special Needs among the general public.

She recalled an interaction with a caregiver of one of her students when she congratulated them on their graduation. The caregivers’ response was, “There is no ‘happy’ in graduation. They do not have anywhere to go after graduating.” That moment deeply impacted Shernise, leaving her with a sense of concern as she realised she couldn’t envision a clear path for some of her students.

Through her interactions with her students’ caregivers, she noticed that post-graduation was a key concern, as not all students could secure employment or a spot at a day activity centre. As a teacher, Shernise aimed to provide guidance and support to ensure her students had opportunities after graduation. This experience made her reflect on the gaps within the community and how she could play a role in influencing society to create more space and opportunities for Persons with Special Needs, especially in the realm of employment.

 

Youth Volunteers and children with special needs having fun at the BBBS programme
 
Recognising Shernise's passion for community service, a friend introduced her to Youth Corps Singapore's Special Needs Cluster (SNC). Her first involvement began with the inaugural run of the Big Brother, Big Sister (BBBS) programme in 2018. The programme entails young volunteers interacting with children with special needs during bi-weekly playdates. The primary goal of these playdates is to offer caregivers a well-deserved break while their children engage in enjoyable activities. Youth volunteers can actively engage and organise activities for Persons with Special Needs, providing them with valuable real-world experiences and insights into the community and their conditions, beyond what can be learnt from online resources.

In addition to the satisfaction derived from successful executions of meticulously planned programmes, SNC is also a “safe, judgement-free place” for Shernise. She had previously encountered challenges communicating her ideas and experiences to friends and family members who had limited interactions with Persons with Special Needs. This disconnect hindered their ability to relate to her experiences. However, she found solace in SNC as her fellow cluster members could easily understand and relate to her.

Being around like-minded and passionate youths inspired Shernise to continue volunteering despite her busy schedule. 

As she embarks on her fifth year with SNC, Shernise spends more time creating awareness through content creation for the cluster’s Instagram and EDMs in order to recruit volunteers and cluster members. 
“I don’t need to always try to prove this child is very normal to everyone.”
She hopes that with SNC’s efforts, they can promote an inclusive society and create more opportunities for Persons with Special Needs to have a better future in society.

  

Note from a caregiver thanking Shernise after a BBBS run in 2019