JoshTseng

Mr Josh Tseng

Director of Accessibility Services
Etch Empathy, Singapore

After losing his eyesight at the age of 16, Josh Tseng was told by his doctor, "You will not be able to work or study anymore. Your only option is to be a massage therapist." Crushed at the time and unsure about his future prospects, Josh now recounts, "I was fortunate to eventually discover the right specialists and assistive tools to help me. That's what saved my life." 8 years after his doctor told him he might have to give up his future, Josh was the first person with vision impairment ever to graduate from Singapore Management University with a Bachelor's in Information Systems.

Today, Josh Tseng is an accessibility solutions provider, communicator, and educator. At the non-profit organisation Etch Empathy, he and his team use a combination of user design best practices to guide organisations in building inclusive products and services, from medical products to websites and mobile apps. This is done using frameworks such as ISO 40500, along with consultation and user testing with members of the disabled community. Josh believes in using his personal experiences and barriers he experienced in his life to help others and create a barrier-free world. For his efforts in disability advocacy, Josh Tseng was conferred the Goh Chok Tong Enable Award in 2020.

Presentation Synopsis

HM16 - Panel Discussion by SG Enable

A panel discussion by SG Enable, the focal agency for disability in Singapore, in conversation with key partners to share on lived experiences, challenges and possible solutions in disability-inclusive healthcare practices. The panel will include:

• Dr Chen Shiling, founder of the Happee Hearts movement behind IDHealth, which provides integrated healthcare services for persons with intellectual disabilities.

• Josh Tseng, SG Enable’s iChamp (Inclusion Champion) and Director of Accessibility Services at Etch Empathy, recently represented Singapore at the 17th Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). He will share his lived experiences as a person with visual impairment and his insights as a digital accessibility consultant.

• Chia Ai Ling, Director of Communications and Partnerships in SG Enable, will give an overview of the landscape and the organisation’s work in enabling disability inclusion through partnerships.

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