Finding Strength in Her Voice and Ability

Pearl Lee

Disability Inclusion Advocate and Speaker

When Pearl Lee steps onto a stage, the room often quiets—not just out of courtesy, but from the curiosity drawn by her confident and radiant presence. Usually dressed in her stylish, cheerfully coloured, knee-length dresses, Pearl’s smile shines as she shares her experiences of growing up and growing into her identity as a woman with disability.

It wasn’t always like this for Pearl; her journey to self-acceptance was an evolving process.

Pearl has bow legs, severe scoliosis, and restrictive lung disease, which affects her breathing, particularly during strenuous activities. She uses both a kick scooter and motorised scooter for mobility, which sometimes draws curious stares. Growing up in a time with limited diverse representation of female persons with disabilities (PwDs), she struggled with body image.

“I felt out of place and ugly. I even felt like a medical specimen as I had check-ups in hospitals so often,” she recalls.

Being conscious of her appearance led Pearl to be quiet. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself, choosing to hold back her thoughts and hide behind the scenes rather than stand out. This silence led to feelings of guilt and shame for not speaking up for herself, which she later realised affected her mental health.

Reclaiming Her Voice

It was only in recent years after being in a vicious cycle of insomnia, health and mental health issues that Pearl decided to muster the courage to face these insecurities and seek professional help. With the support of a coach who saw her potential, Pearl began the internal work of uncovering the false beliefs she held about herself and healing from past experiences that had led her to feel ashamed of her disability. She learned about self-limiting beliefs that held her back from trying new things and realising her potential. Through this personal development and healing journey, Pearl began to see her own abilities, embracing her disability and reclaiming her voice.

Having benefited from her coach’s guidance, Pearl was encouraged to pay it forward by being a voice for fellow PwDs. A conversation with fellow APB scholar and UNLABEL 2025 profile, Winston Wong, reminded Pearl about the vision shared by her coach in 2017 on speaking to a group of people. Pearl decided to take that step of faith and explore giving talks to encourage other PwDs to step forward and invest in their personal growth.

^{Pearl volunteered as the emcee for SPD’s donor appreciation event held at the Istana.}

Stepping Into the Light

In September 2022, Pearl organised her first in-person talk, imPAct@Hong Lim Green, with 20–30 attendees, including family, friends, and PwDs from her network. Though it was nerve-wracking, she knew it was a safe space and a crucial step into the light instead of hiding. The positive reception and the connection she felt with the audience confirmed her purpose, sparking a deeper desire in using her voice for change.

Following this, her speaking journey accelerated.

Pearl was invited to emcee the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation scholarship ceremony, and thereafter she volunteered for other SPD events, such as SPD’s donor appreciation reception held at Istana, and eventually took on external emceeing roles, including with The Purple Parade, where she spoke to a crowd of thousands.

As she delved into more public speaking and corporate engagements with organisations like LinkedIn and Deloitte, she grew more comfortable and confident in sharing her story. Pearl embodies what it means to turn self-acceptance into social change. A former Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Scholar and now an SPD Inclusion Champion, she uses her voice to help others do the same.

Advocacy Through Lived Truth

To Pearl, advocacy isn’t about spotlighting herself. It’s about showing others, especially women and persons with disabilities, that their stories are powerful tools for understanding and change. She discovered her calling and purpose in her experience and in sharing her story.

“It is possible for anyone to live a life beyond their disability, as long as they are willing to Invest in themselves and unleash their fullest potentials.”

Through her platform, LyLight Organisation, Pearl now gives talks to encourage persons with and without disabilities to live their dream lives by recognising their hidden potential and sharing the infinite possibilities available to them.

Seeing “This Ability” in Everyone

Pearl’s growth was an accumulation of gradual improvements over time, requiring significant inner work on herself and supported by her long-time coach and a strong community that knew her true potential. She encourages PwDs to see beyond their own disability and limitations, and not to be boxed into the life they assume they must lead.

For the wider audience, Pearl’s message is simple: See ability from within, not just from appearances. She wants the public and organisations to shine a different light on what PwDs can do, reminding them that when given the opportunities, PwDs can offer far more than expected.

“It’s not true that PwDs cannot do a lot of things. We are not defined by our disabilities, and we can live happy, meaningful and fulfilled lives regardless of what others say.”

Pearl’s journey is a testament to courage, proving that by investing in herself and reclaiming her voice, she redefined her ability and, in turn, inspired a movement of inclusion.

Catch Pearl’s posters at selected SMRT stations!