‘Don’t give up on us’

Vandana Aggarwal

Looking at the pretty, bright-eyed and vivacious Jaspreet Kaur, you would forget for a moment that she has Down Syndrome (DS).

Born in 1980 to Dr Balbir Singh Sekhon and his wife Rabinder Kaur, both 3rd generation Singaporean Sikhs, Jaspreet was diagnosed at birth with DS. DS affects less than 0.1 per cent of the population. Determined to give her the best possible life, her parents educated themselves about DS and made it their life mission to give their daughter every opportunity to shine.

And shine she did! Today Jaspreet is a self-advocate and an inspiring role model, having achieved what a lot of people with ‘normal’ abilities would not even think off. 

Jaspreet, said her parents, studied at a school for the intellectually disabled in Singapore. She was a curious child with a keen desire to learn.

Jaspreet loves music, dance, going out, watching television and working with kids. She’s done several courses, including a certificate in early education.“I enjoy teaching and helping kids,” she said softly. She worked as an assistant teacher at a mainstream kindergarten for over 17 years.

Her parents and younger sister have always supported Jaspreet. Despite the fact that people would sometimes gape or stare, they made a conscious effort to take her out on family outings in order to aid her development. These interactions have made Jaspreet confident and articulate. She feels that in spite of having DS, she is a normal adult.  She doesn’t want people to look “down at her, but to make eye contact and look up at her.”

Dr Sekhon is the founding chairperson of the Down Syndrome Association (DSA), Singapore, and a lifelong advocate of a better life for the intellectually disabled. His efforts at empowering Jaspreet have borne fruit and she travelled to Amritsar in 2012 to speak about her experiences, on the occasion of the inauguration of the DSA (Punjab) hosted by the Amrit PARIVAAR Parents Association.

She has made presentations to special education trainee teachers about how the system could improve to include and better serve the intellectually disabled. Subsequently,a CD was made of her talk.

Jaspreet also delivered the opening address on World Down Syndrome Day, at the United Nations in 2014. Addressing a global audience, Jaspreet drew attention to the need for providing not just better health care, but also make it accessible to people with disabilities.

She was very poised and not the least nervous. “My parents gave me the confidence,” she said, “and I give them joy,” she added with an impish smile.

At the World Down Syndrome Congress at Chennai in 2015, Jaspreet once again spoke for the need to help those with DS to fulfil their dreams and support them, so that they may feel included. In fact, Jaspreet has worked tirelessly to draw attention to people with DS. The same year Jaspreet was applauded by the Prime Minister of Singapore for her ‘indomitable spirit’at the launch of the book “Singapore at 50 – 50 Sikhs and their contributions.” She was chosen to represent DSA (Singapore) at the National Day Parade in 2016.

She had taken part in the Special Olympics at Singapore as a swimmer but has since moved to playing other sports. Her latest passion is bowling. 

Her parents have taught her to be independent. She often travels by herself on public transport. Jaspreet works, twice a week, at a thrift shop run by DSA, where she helps to receive, sort, repack, store and be the sales staff when required. She is currently doing a self-advocacy programme to teach people to speak up for themselves.

Dancing has always been her passion. “I often do my own choreography,” she says matter of fact. She dances for fun, in competitions and for raising funds for the DSA. As a child, she had dreamt of being a professional dancer. Even though that didn’t happen, Jaspreet has continued to pursue it as a hobby. 

She credits dance to having taught her to listen, follow instructions, be a better team player and give her the confidence to perform in front of an audience. She has even faced the arc lights with aplomb, having modelled occassionally. She finds modelling fun and exciting and credits the experience in helping to, “increase confidence and self-esteem”.

Jaspreet has always stood for inclusiveness for people with special needs. “Don’t give up on us,” she appealed poignantly in one of her speeches, “Do something about it.”