Man who used to hide disability now advocates for inclusion
After a routine health check-up in primary school, 10-year-old Rayner Teo was prescribed reading glasses.
But by the time he picked up his glasses, he could not see clearly even with them on.
A battery of tests at Singapore National Eye Centre later, he was diagnosed with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).
The disease that causes bilateral, painless, subacute visual loss in young adults is four times more likely to affect men than women.
Mr Teo, now 24, has limited and blurry vision. He cannot even see the menu at food stalls clearly.
"In upper primary, I faced curious classmates as well as those who called me names," he told TNP.
"But when I entered Broadrick Secondary School, I had very supportive teachers."
At Temasek Polytechnic, his Special Education Needs officer Winston Wong introduced him to TomoWork.
The non-profit organisaton, which equips people with special needs with the skills – under its flagship 12-week Talent Accelerator Programme (TAP) – to make them employable, celebrated its fifth anniversary on June 6.
Although his successful academic journey at Curtin University armed him with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Banking, it was at TAP that Mr Teo "boosted my confidence, expanded my professional network and enhanced my skills".
"It played a crucial role in my transition from school to work, helping me secure interviews and job opportunities," added Mr Teo, who has been an Apprentice Associate Account Manager at Expedia Group since February this year.
TomoWork COO William Wong said: "We have seen Rayner grow so much since he joined us for TAP in 2021 – from someone reserved and apprehensive to a go-getter hungry for more responsibility.
"He no longer shies away from disclosing his disability and is now a role model to his juniors and a strong advocate for disability inclusion."
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