Conference Presenters

Learning for Everyone

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The 2027 Empowering Lives Conference brings together a diverse lineup of speakers who are passionate about creating inclusive, supportive environments for individuals with special needs.

Each presenter is thoughtfully selected based on five guiding principles—Relevance, Impact, Inclusivity, Feasibility, and Engagement—to ensure sessions are meaningful, practical, and inspiring.

Our speakers will cover a wide range of critical topics, including strategies for working confidently with persons with Mild Intellectual Disability (MID), early prevention and mental well-being support for adolescents with ID, and building strong caregiver-family relationships
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You’ll also gain insights into teaching Workplace Literacy for future employment, managing caregiving stress, and understanding intellectual disability across the lifespan. Other sessions will explore therapeutic communication skills, sensory-based approaches for classroom engagement, suicide intervention training, crisis behavior management, and frameworks for person-centered care.

In addition, selected workshops have been specially curated to offer Continuing Education Points (CEP) for allied health professionals, making this conference not only an opportunity for learning and networking but also a valuable step toward professional development.

Through these sessions, expect real-life experiences, actionable strategies, and evidence-based practices that empower educators, caregivers, allied professionals, and employers to make a lasting impact.

Keynote Speakers

Track: Mental Health & Emotional Well-being

Dr. Wei Ker-Chiah

• The Powerhouse Profile: A recipient of the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) and the Region Chief (East and West) at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Dr. Wei is a titan in the field of developmental disability psychiatry. As the Vice-Chairman of APSN Ltd and former Programme Director for the MOH-IMH Assertive Interventions in Developmental Disability (AIDD), he is at the forefront of national policy and clinical care.

• Why You Must Attend: Social service professionals and mental health practitioners will gain exclusive insights into “bridging the health/social care divide”. Dr. Wei will reveal how his Assertive Intervention Model creates a holistic community ecosystem that prevents institutionalisation and empowers adults with complex dual disabilities to live with dignity.

Track: Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies

A/Prof Kenneth Poon

• The Powerhouse Profile: As an Associate Professor at NIE and a primary consultant for the NCSS Quality of Life (QoL) Study on Persons with Disabilities, A/Prof Poon is the architect of the benchmarks used to measure empowerment in Singapore. His work provides the quantitative backbone for the Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030), ensuring that progress is not just a goal, but a measurable reality.
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• Why You Must Attend: For social service leaders and employment specialists, this session offers a data-driven roadmap to vocational success. A/Prof Poon will demonstrate how meaningful daily activity directly correlates to personal dignity, providing the statistical evidence needed to drive inclusive hiring practices across Singapore’s private and public sectors.

Track: Innovative Teaching & Learning Strategies

Mr. Simon Reynolds

• The Powerhouse Profile: With an illustrious 33-year career at the Ministry of Education (MOE), including a transformative 14-year tenure as Deputy Director of Curriculum Planning and Development, Mr. Reynolds is the ultimate authority on Singapore’s educational landscape. He currently serves as a Senior Consultant at Principals Academy and a lecturer at the National Institute of Education (NIE), where he shapes the next generation of educators.

• Why You Must Attend: Mainstream and SPED educators alike will gain an “immediate, massive advantage” by learning from a leader who intimately understands local classroom constraints and syllabus design. His session on process-oriented drama therapy offers a revolutionary, hands-on toolkit to build social-emotional resilience and manage neurodiverse classrooms with confidence.

Track: Caregiving & Family Support

Dr. Sarah Hurwitz

• The Powerhouse Profile: An Associate Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, Dr. Hurwitz is the Director of the Action for Access Global Special Education Lab, an initiative dedicated to expanding inclusive educational access worldwide. Her research is highly cited for evaluating how evidence-based practices and international laws shape the destinies of students with severe developmental disabilities
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• Why You Must Attend: Educators and policy advocates will explore cutting-edge international partnerships and learn to implement parent-mediated intervention models that are proven to reduce caregiver stress. Her session is vital for anyone looking to align local practices with the highest global standards of inclusive policy and family-centred care.

Track: Inclusive Employment

Jonathan Gibson

• The Powerhouse Profile: Jonathan Gibson is the Director and Lead Consultant at Backdrop Education Services Ltd, with more than 25 years of experience in education. His work spans educational leadership, special education, curriculum development, coaching and mentoring. He has supported schools and organisations through consultancy, training and leadership development, and has contributed to state-level projects, reviews of more than 100 settings, and advisory groups on education policy and practice.

• Why You Must Attend: Jonathan brings extensive experience in inclusion, leadership and developing pathways for learners with diverse needs. Drawing on his work across special education, curriculum design and organisational development, his sessions will explore how education and support systems can better prepare individuals for meaningful participation, progression and employment. Participants can expect practical perspectives on turning inclusive principles into approaches that work across organisations and settings. His earlier leadership experience also includes developing alternative learning programmes and a proposed provision model covering areas from curriculum to staffing.

Track: Caregiving & Family Support

Dr. Lim Hong Huay

• Dr. Lim Hong Huay is a Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrician, epidemiologist, and Founder and Emeritus Chair of CaringSG. With more than 20 years of experience in paediatrics, her areas of expertise include autism, early intervention, caregiver support, inclusion and disability medicine. She has contributed to major national initiatives, including the Singapore Together Alliance for Action for Caregiver Support and the Enabling Masterplan 2030, and has served on various national and inter-agency workgroups supporting persons with disabilities and their families.
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• Why You Must Attend: Dr. Lim brings together clinical expertise, caregiver advocacy and system-level experience to examine how families of persons with disabilities can be better supported. Her work includes the ECHO framework, caregiver support initiatives and national efforts related to disability and inclusion. Her research profile also includes work on family outcomes from the ECHO framework in Singapore’s early intervention programme, giving participants a strong practice and evidence-based perspective on building more responsive support around caregivers and families.

Call for Papers & Presenters

We invite researchers, educators, allied health professionals, and practitioners—both local and overseas—to share your expertise at the 2027 Empowering Lives Conference.

This is your opportunity to present applied research that is practical, innovative, and transformative, aimed at improving the lives and learning experiences of individuals with special needs. We are looking for papers and presentations that offer real-world solutions, evidence-based strategies, and fresh perspectives across education, employment, mental health, caregiving, and technology.

Join us in shaping meaningful conversations and driving progress in the special needs community. Your insights can inspire change and empower stakeholders to create inclusive environments where everyone thrives.