Stories to Inspire
Mabel Thang
A successful transition to sheltered employment
Mabel Thang is diagnosed as epileptic with right Hemiparesis. Her story here was featured in the October 2007 issue of ExtraPage.
Twenty-eight-year-old Mabel Thang had crossed over from the Day Activity Centre (DAC), where she previously received day care and pre-vocational training, to the Sheltered Workshop where she will earn an allowance for engaging in sub-contract work as a trainee.
This move in September marked a milestone in her life, as it took Mabel and her training officers two years to come this far.
At the DAC, Mabel received up to four hours of pre-vocational training daily in preparation for the transition. She was given ample time and opportunity to learn and grow in her work and daily living skills. Proving herself capable and eager to learn, she then took on leadership responsibilities in her training team where she supervised her peers by monitoring their work, conducting quality checks in the packing and labeling jobs assigned to them, and taking daily attendance.
She was also assigned the role of ‘assistant teacher’ in art & craft workshops, where she helped to plan lessons and prepare the programme and materials needed.
Her DAC training extended to becoming independent at home. With supervision, she learnt to cook simple meals for her family, budget for a meal, shop for ingredients, and prepare meals according to recipes. Her progress was closely monitored – her mother would give her feedback to the training officer on the level of supervision required each time she prepared a meal at home.
For now, the aim is for her to learn to take the public transport independently. "We plan for her to take public transport to work without help twice a week. We will increase the frequency next month. So far, she’s doing quite well, she’s never late for work," her training officer Agnes Lim says with much pride.
A sweet and jovial girl, she communicates well with her peers and has made many friends at DAC. When asked what she enjoys about DAC, she says shyly, "Serene is my good friend. She’s very close to me."
Mabel is looking forward to the next phase in her life, and has hopes for the future. "I’m happy to go to the Sheltered Workshop but am sad to leave my friends. But I feel like I want to go, to build my confidence to go out to work. I think I can do well, I will try my best."