At Engineering Good, we’re all about closing that digital gap—because in this day and age, not knowing how to use a computer shouldn’t be what holds anyone back.

Over the past 8 months, we’ve been rolling up our sleeves and teaming up with the super enthusiastic folks from New Hope Community Services (lead organiser) and the Singapore Computer Society Youth team to support a digital literacy programme for residents living in rental flats and Single Room Shared Facilities.

We’ve been providing refurbished laptops (think secondhand, but with lots of love ), and our awesome volunteers, alongside NHCS and SCS volunteers, have been showing up to teach the basics—how to use email, write a CV that gets noticed, Excel like a boss, spot scams before they spot you, and more!

It’s all about helping folks build their confidence, pick up new skills, and feel ready to take on new job opportunities. 

1-on-1 coaching for the residents…and also listening ears to the residents.

SPH Tamil Murasu featured the programme and the human story of one of the participants.

English summary of the feature article (AI generated):

“Story of a man once destitute.
JK (not his original name), a 50-year-old formerly destitute individual, now has a roof over his head through the Joint Singles Scheme-Operator Run (JSS-OR) rental flats at Woodleigh Link managed by New Hope Community Services. After serving a three-year jail sentence during which he lost contact with his daughter, JK struggled with homelessness and low-paying jobs. New Hope provided temporary shelter at Transit Point @ Jalan Kukoh and helped JK secure a job at Serangoon NEX mall as a food court cleaner. JK is also participating in a series of digital literacy workshops co-organized by New Hope along with Engineering Good and the Singapore Computer Society Youth to improve the job prospects and digital literacy of New Hope beneficiaries. JK continues to save up while upgrading himself in the hope of reuniting with his ten-year-old daughter in the future. ” 

https://www.tamilmurasu.com.sg/community/story-man-once-destitute

What is Assistive Technology

Assistive technology (AT) refers to products, devices, equipment, software, systems, or services designed to improve learning, work, and daily living for individuals with special needs. More broadly, AT encompasses technologies that “assist” and help remove barriers for persons with disabilities in accessing education, transportation, housing, recreation, and employment, enabling them to live independently, reach their full potential, and participate inclusively in society.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines assistive technology as an umbrella term that covers the systems and services involved in delivering these products and solutions. Assistive products can range from physical tools like wheelchairs, glasses, hearing aids, prostheses, and walking devices, to digital solutions such as software and apps that facilitate communication, information access, time management, rehabilitation, education, and training. They also include modifications to the physical environment, such as portable ramps or grab rails.

The 2022 WHO-UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology emphasizes that access to assistive technology is more critical than ever. Having the right AT can be the key to accessing education for children and workforce participation for adults. AT supports individual independence and well-being, and without it, people with disabilities can become isolated, intensifying the effects of their condition on themselves and their families.

Assistive Technology for Different Types of Disabilities 

To perform evaluation of what AT is suitable for the users, we will rely on a shared understanding of the user from the cross-disciplinary professional team and the family. Taking an ability-based rather than disability-based approach is important. We consider the user’s strengths that can be built upon, and not just challenges.

When exploring assistive technology for users with physical disabilities, we focus on two main areas:

• Identifying alternative methods for performing learning and daily tasks that are limited by their physical disabilities. For example, instead of relying on a standard computer mouse or touchscreen, users can use big button switches or head/eye tracking assistive technology to control computers and tablets.
• redesign tasks to be engaging to support training them in mastery of the tasks. For example, the use of adaptive knife and cutting board which have been ergonomically designed for users with cerebral palsy to perform effective single-hand cutting so that options of what meal the student is able to prepare, with limited support from caregiver, is now wider.

Autism is often referred to as an “invisible disability”. When evaluating AT for users with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we focus on the following areas:

1. Helping students cope with sensory challenges and reducing repetitive behaviors. Examples include noise-cancelling headphones for students with severe auditory sensitivities or dimmable LED lighting in classrooms to reduce visual sensory overload.

2. Providing alternative ways to address communication difficulties—both receptive and expressive. This could involve using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps on iPads or printed picture cards to facilitate communication.

3. Supporting the development of social interaction skills. Examples include using video social stories or interactive AI robots to help students improve their social skills.

In designing assistive technology solutions for various users, it is critical to leverages the users’ unique strengths, for example, many individuals with autism have preference visual and structured learning. This way the AT solution will engage the users better and and thus improve the success rate of adoption of the assistive technology solution by them.

Engineering Good (EG)

EG is a Singapore-based non-profit organisation incepted in 2014. We connect low-income and vulnerable communities with technology and engineering solutions.

At EG, our two main thrusts are Digital Inclusion and Assistive Technology.

Our Digital Inclusion activities include salvaging and repairing primarily laptops which are then redistributed to vulnerable communities such as low-income families. This helps reduce carbon and e-waste. Our Assistive Technology efforts focus on helping persons with disabilities through developing assistive devices that help them live a life of independence and opportunity.

Today, we support over 200 social service agencies in Singapore. Our collective efforts with our volunteers and partners have seen nearly 8,000 laptops / devices being distributed to various beneficiaries. We believe our geeks got no social skills everyone has a role to play in bridging the digital divide.

We have helped to improve digital literacy for single mothers, enabled low-income students to attend online classes, assisted a visually impaired senior in feeding his service dog, helped a child in a boys’ home to learn coding, and more.

Early Days

In 2014, a small group of volunteer engineers started their journey, initially operating from shared workspaces at Red Dot and SG Enable. As their efforts gained momentum, they secured their first dedicated rental space in NDC within One Maker Group (OMG) in 2017. Building upon their progress, the team moved to a donated desk at TinkerTanker in Tai Seng in 2018. Later that same year, they relocated once more alongside TinkerTanker to Apex@Henderson.

Then COVID hit.

With the shift to online classes, a pressing need arose for thousands of low-income students who lacked access to laptops for home-based learning. Additionally, seniors and migrant workers also needed digital tools to connect with their loved ones. In response to these urgent needs, our Computers Against Covid program was initiated at Apex.

What began as a request we posted on Facebook for 24 laptops gained widespread attention and media coverage. This unexpected response transformed our initiative into a nationwide focus aimed at bridging the digital divide.

EG’s ‘Ambassador who is Large’ and former CEO, Johann Annuar, pulled a GOAT move to salvage donated laptops by himself for low-income children and vulnerable groups. But with heart work and Jo literally crying for help on television during the National Day Parade, Singaporeans (and expats!) from all walks of life got our signal beacon and appeared at our doorstep.

Volunteers dedicated countless late nights, enduring back pain, eye strain, fueled by caffeine and occasional snacks, as they worked tirelessly to refurbish over 2,000 laptops. With each passing day, both the stockpile of laptops and the volunteer community continued to expand. Grateful for the generous donations of food, their waistlines grew alongside their collective efforts.

In 2020, we embarked on a wild journey with our CAC operations, hitting the road and venturing into new locations. Our first stop was Jalan Besar stadium, where we set up our operations before moving on to Sprout Hub for a delightful two-month stay.

Come September, we found ourselves on the move once again, relocating to a charming shophouse nestled in the heart of Little India.

Finally, in January 2022, we found our current home, a cozy clubhouse located at 994 B Central Bendemeer Road. Accompanying us on this journey is our beloved CEO Cat, whom we affectionately adopted. With her sharp eyes and assertive meows during laptop speed-QC sessions, she ensures each device meets the highest standards of purr-fection, keeping us on track.

Life After Covid

In a post-Covid world, vulnerable communities continue to face challenges that often go unnoticed. Recognising the need to address technical difficulties faced by low-income families, we launched the Laptop Fixers Community initiative in 2022. This program aims to repair laptops in selected HDB rental blocks, ensuring that these families have access to functional devices.

Additionally, our Assistive Technology work has been expanding. We are dedicated to making a positive impact through our annual Tech For Good (T4G) festival, which remains the only event in Singapore that brings together young individuals, tech and engineering professionals, and the disability community. The festival serves as a platform for collaboration and innovation, focusing on developing affordable and open-source solutions.

In 2022, we witnessed the participation of 30 teams comprising 106 youth innovators who worked on six problem statements targeting six different disability groups. The selected prototypes underwent further enhancements and customisation by dedicated volunteers.

Building upon our success, we have upgraded EG’s Makerspace in 2023 to provide an inclusive environment for all aspiring tinkerers. This enhanced space is designed to support the development of prototypes aimed at addressing the unique needs of the disability community. We believe that through the cultivation of an inclusive and collaborative environment, we can build meaningful solutions rooted in empathy.

Contribute

EG expects to receive up to 2,500 laptop requests this year from vulnerable communities such as low-income families, single mothers, migrant workers, and ex-offenders. Refurbishing a laptop at EG costs ~ S$350, much less than refurbishing laptops in the open market (S$450 to S$800).

Due to the rising inflation in Singapore, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for low-income families to afford these laptops, making it challenging for them to pursue education opportunities.

Your donation will go towards improving older laptops by purchasing spare parts and upgrading their software. This ensures vulnerable children don’t fall behind in school compared to their peers.

Every dollar counts. To chip in, click here!

Much of the work we do is powered by volunteers—we open our doors all year for ad-hoc and long-term contributions. If you would like to get involved, please email Remi at volunteer@engineeringgood.org.