Includes

Stevens Chan, 58, a former busy entrepreneur, lost his eyesight to Glaucoma at 45 in 2007. Since coming out of the Dark in 2009, Stevens together with his wife, Kaye, founded the Malaysia Glaucoma Society, creating awareness of this disease while serving Glaucoma Patients in Counselling, Surgical and Medication aid. In 2011, they founded SOS Missions, an NPO to serve more patients with various eye disorders and Visually Impaired children & youths. To sustain their works, they started a Social Enterprise in collaboration with Dialogue-in-the-Dark, a renown Experience Programme from Germany in 2012. Stevens also started the Dogs-for-Sight movement in his attempt to start a Guide Dog School for the Blind in 2014; bringing in Lashawn, the first Guide Dog into Malaysia. Stevens is now a Social Worker, Activist and Entrepreneur advocating for equalities of the PWD communities in education and economic enabling opportunities leading to reduced poverty for them.

An estimated 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of disabilities. More than 1/3 of them are children. Often left behind in Education and Economic opportunities, these PWD communities remain trapped in this situation unless societies begin accepting their limitations and in adapting to their conditions, accord them with equal learning and earning opportunities. Thru Dialogues and Partnerships, project Includes aims to transform this unequal landscape; renovating existing digital and non-digital education and commerce platforms to be accessible, and with adequate enabling, train the PWDs to manage these refurbished platforms. Today's technology, wide coverage of internet and mobile has made this transformation more accessible and possible. Since our formation in 2013, we have collaborated with various stakeholders from Social,Private,Public and Education sectors to renovate their existing platforms to include these communities; aiming to provide them with equal education and economic enabling opportunities that can elevate them from poverty.  

An estimated 1.3 billion people live on this planet with some form of disability. Often left behind in education and economic growth, many of them live in poverty causing most of them to live on handouts. More than a third of this statistics are youths and children. Can this landscape ever be transformed? The main issue of this perennial problem especially in the developing and 3rd world countries are priorities. PWDs globally makes up of about 10% of any population globally. Naturally it’s the concerns of the 90% that takes precedent leaving the balance 10% behind, as more often than not, they are perceived as a burden, not a contributor to society.  

Our Project, aptly entitled Includes aims to transform this inequality landscape. Thru collaborations with partners from the Social, Private, Public and Education sectors, we renovate their existing digital and non digital education and commerce platforms to be accessible and easy enough  to be managed and operated by the PWDs. Today's technology and extensive Wifi / Internet and mobile coverage has even made this renovation process more easier and accessible. Thru this often inexpensive innovative renovations, we can provide these PWDs with equal education and economic enabling opportunities that can lead to zero poverty. In elevating them, these accessible platforms may also be able to aid the medically challenged and senior citizens. Our belief is that when you take care of the needs of the least, you will end up taking care of the mass as well.

The communities we are serving are the Visually, Physically, Hearing and Learning Impaired. With collaborations from Social, Private, Public and Education partners, we provide accessible friendly education and economic enabling teaching and coaching aids to help them be more confident of their abilities. For example, we work with an online education content provider to renovate their existing mobile learning platform to be accessible even by Blind students in providing them with an equal learning opportunity without depending only on Braille resources which are often expensive to be produced and too bulky and not portable to be accessed easily. Thru this digital renovation, these blind students can now study anytime anywhere within their safety and comfort level even in post Covid-19 conditions. We are even training Adult PWDs to be these students' tutors and coaches which can be done remotely, thus economically enabling the PWD adults collaterally.

We level the education and economic enabling opportunities by working with various partners from social, private, public and education sectors by simply renovating their existing digital and non-digital platforms to be manageable and operated bythe PWDs. In making this platforms equally accessible by all people, irregardless of abilities, we believe even the often left behind PWDs can be elevated to be a contributor to society. In working with the relevant stakeholders, we believe our project is also working towards the elevating the dimension of changing people's mindset and attitudes towards these PWDs communities by looking at their capabilities with empathy

Since losing my eyesight to Glaucoma 13 years ago, I started an NGO and NPO to create more awareness of this Silent Thief of Sight. During our serving journey, we came across many children and youths stricken with all forms of eye and other health disorders that are disabling them. Often troubled with this scene, we then progress to start a Social Enterprise Academy to educate, enable and empower these communities to help them towards economic independence thru collaborations with other willing partners from the Social, Private, Public and Education sectors. My missions is to be able to yield more educated and economically empowered PWDs in our society one day soon.

I used to be a busy Entrepreneur interested only to enrich myself. At 45, I lost not only my eyesight but also everything that I have worked for tirelessly for the past years. Thank GOD, as I climb out of my darkness, I did not hope to see others suffer from this unnecessary blindness which can be prevented. While doing this community work, I come across many young visually impaired people. It was already very tough for an adult like me, I often worry about the surviving prospects of these precious young ones if the education and economic landscape do not change into an inclusive one. It is now my life long vision and mission to work towards building education and commerce platforms that can include and elevate these PWDs out of the poverty cycle thru initiating collaborations with various partners from the social, private, public and education sectors

I have had 6 years of Corporate experience in the banking and insurance sector before setting and managing my own marketing consultancy business for 15 years before losing my eyesight to Glaucoma 13 years ago at age 45. During my time as a  Entrepreneur, my core skills was in devising marketing strategies and in business licensing process negotiations and applications with the relevant authorities. Since losing my eye sight and together with my wife, I have use these experiences to start and operate an NGO, NPO and Social Enterprise to serve the PWD communities especially the youths and children. I also advocate for the accessibility rights for the Blind in our nation Malaysia by initiating the Dogs for Sight movement to allow the Blind and Guide Dogs to move freely without barriers in 2014. Asides from just Corporate and enterprise experiences, it is my own journey to blindness and learning to live with this debilitating disability experiences that allows me to share with the sighted and able to appreciate their sight and health and for the young or old disabled that they too can be abled when given the right platform to perform their capabilities. I am just like them, a PWD and if I can why can't they? It is now our life long vision to see through these 2 missions.   

We started a Social Enterprise in 2012 in collaboration with the renown experiential programme Dialogue-in-the-Dark from Germany.This renown reversal of roles experience has since 1988 impacted 12 million+ visitors and given employment to thousands of Blind people globally. We were optimistic with this SE as it not only brings in the funds to sustain our community works but also give jobs and training opportunities to the Blind. We opened our first Experience Center in a prominent address in our nation (inside the Twin Towers, then the highest building in the world) with sponsorship. Due to bureaucracy challenges, after operating for a mere 7 months we had to relocate to another venue. Relocation of the experience center is expensive and exhausting. Since the moving out from the Twin Towers we have relocated 3 times. Each time we move due to Venue Support challenges but continue pressing on to keep this Experience Center open as it has proven impact not for only the Blind but also the Sighted. We are now at our 4th venue since we started 8 years ago and prayerfully in time, will be able to have our own Dialogue Home to showcase the capabilities of this PWD communities.

I try to be an example of resilience to not only our PWDs beneficiaries but also to the public. Since starting this works I have had 2 strokes, broken my elbow and last year I  suffered  a massive heart attack that nearly took my life away. But thank GOD I survived and is still pressing on towards the goal of seeing more PWDs being included in all levels and segments of society

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We innovate by renovating existing innovative digital and non-digital education and commerce to be inclusive and accessible by PWDs communities thru partnerships. For example, partnering with our nation's leading Education Content provider to make their existing online and mobile learning platform accessible for Blind students. In working with existing open source accessible technology, in tandem with the International Web Content Access Guidelines (WCAG), we renovated their education platform to be accessed by visually impaired students age between 10-18. Thru this accessible learning platform, these Blind students do not have to depend on just Braille resources which are often expensive, limited in its capacity, too bulky and not portable enough for them to study anytime anywhere within their safe and comfort level. Now with technology and the wide availability of mobile and Wifi, we can transform these students to have equal access to learning anytime anywhere. Collaterally, it enables Adult PWDs to be trained tutors for this targeted group, thus enabling them to have both income opportunity and to help encourage and motivate these students to study. Because it can be done remotely, this platform also benefits other PWD students (Crippled, Deaf and other medically challenged students  with limited resources) to equal education especially during this Covid-19 pandemic times. We are also now in the process of renovating existing Call Center CRM system, Urban Farming and E-Commerce platforms to be accessible enough for these targeted group of PWDs to manage and operate that ultimately will aid them in gaining an income.

Inequalities in education and economic enabling opportunities have more often than not leave many of the estimated 1.3  billion people living with some form of disabilities trapped in poverty. 

Tiun LT 2013, Challenges Faced by Malaysians with Disabilities in the World https://www.researchgate.net/p...

Our Project Includes aims to transform this inequalities landscape by initiating Partnerships from the Social, Private, Public and Education sectors; to allow us to simply renovate their existing digital and non-digital education and commerce platforms to be accessible, manageable and operated by trained PWDs beneficiaries in aiding them towards attaining economic self sufficiency leading to a dignified and zero poverty life; seen as a contributor rather than a burden. We assume this goal of ours can be achieved thru willing Partners, responsive PWD beneficiaries and family members and having the required technical and financial resources to achieve this long term goal. We begin by initiating Dialogues with the relevant stakeholders with an aim to foster empathy thru seeing the targeted PWDs capabilities rather than their disabilities before moving into striking partnerships with willing partners to allow us to renovate their existing education and commerce platforms be accessible enough for the PWDs trainees to manage and operate. Outputs includes proven training SOPs provided by Partners, Open source accessible web and mobile technologies, training and learning accessible resources and tools, coaches, trainers  and vocational counselors. With these activities and outputs, we can provide an equal learning and enabling platforms for this often left behind PWDs attain economic dignified self-sufficiency globally in meeting the UN SDGs of equal education and economic enabling opportunities leading to zero poverty thru partnerships.   

Currently serving 10 Visually and Learning Impaired Youths, 150 Blind, Deaf and Multiple Disabled students. 

Next 1 year : 

30 Visually, Physically, Hearing and Learning Impaired Youths and Adults, 

300 Visually, Hearing, Physically, Learning and Multiple Disabled students.

In 5 years : 

1000 Visually, Physically, Hearing and Learning Impaired youths and adults, 5000 Visually,Hearing,Physically, Learning and Multiple Disabled students.

Within the next 1 year, we plan to build our nation's and ASEAN's first reversal of roles Experience Center in collaboration with our existing Partners. Evolving around the theme of Empathy this theme park-like experience center will allow visitors experiencing their normal routine in complete darkness, communicate without sounds only signs and facial expressions, moving around with barriers on wheelchairs, experiencing some aging physical symptoms like seeing with blurry vision and communicating with an autistic over a cup of tea or coffee with the aim of fostering Empathy that can spark and initiate a Dialogue. The center will also showcase our Academy's various enterprises that has been developed with other Partners for the PWDs  and job platforms built to accommodate and include the PWDs. Within the next 1 year, we want to equip 100 visually, physically, hearing and learning impaired Youths and Adults to attain economic self-sufficiency thru our various enterprise and employment platforms in addition to providing equal remote education and coaching aid to 1000 visually, physically, hearing and learning impaired students ages between 10-18. Within the next 5 years, we want to scale our beneficiaries outreach by 50% annually and to expand our works to 2 neighbouring ASEAN countries namely Indonesia and Philippines.

Our barriers are culture and market acceptance, finance, technical resources and social distancing. The prevalent culture of seeing the PWDs as a burden in the market place is often the most challenging barrier we have to face. Globally, in developing and 3rd world countries where education and economic opportunities are mainly focused on the able, this situation often marginalise and oppress these PWD communities from gaining equal access to education and economic enabling opportunities trapping them in poverty just because of priorities. Seeing them as a burden rather than a potential contributor, they are often left to depend solely on handouts.This cultural and market acceptance barrier is often the bane for us to gain financial investments rather than donations or grants, employed talents rather than volunteers, CSR rather than Corporate Investment Responsibilities. Being able to work and learn in a safe and comfortable environment is also often the barriers we have from parents and guardians who prefer to keep their PWD children within their sight. With the recent Covid-19 situation where social distancing will be the norm, this will further widen this gap of equalities.

In overcoming cultural and market acceptance barriers, we partnered with renown Experiential Programme, Dialogue-in-the Dark from Germany to promote reversal-of-roles learning events to break this ICE with an aim to foster Empathy. Dialogue SE is a proven experiential programme that has been around 33 years and have impacted 13 million+ visitors globally; giving employment to thousands of PWDs. In renovating this innovative programme to suit local needs, we have successfully conducted many Dialogues with visitors from different sectors, paving the way forward to initiate more collaborations. Over the past 8 years, we have managed to initiate partnerships with several Education and Private partners to renovate their existing platforms to empower these PWDs beneficiaries. Thru these Dialogues, we have also attained revenues from selling these programmes to the Public and Private sectors that is partially sustaining our project. However due to lack of further investments, we have yet to attract enough finance and human capital to scale our Experience programmes further. With additional investments, we are able to build our own permanent Experience venue that can house and showcase our works - allowing us to nurture more successful PWDs and gain trust from relevant stakeholders. Although social distancing will still be a challenge, we have been renovating existing e-learning and e-commerce platforms thru partnerships that can allow our PWDs beneficiaries to learn and earn remotely within their safe and comfort levels.With more technical and talent resources, we will be able to build a more robust and accessible platform for our beneficiaries.  

We are partnering with Dialogue SE Germany to run and operate their renown Dialogue Experience programmes that has been around for the past 32 years globally in Malaysia to foster and harness empathy. We are partnering with our nation's largest education content provider to renovate their existing virtual and mobile learning platform to be accessible even by the Blind and Deaf students thus enabling them to study equally remotely even during pandemic times. This learning platform is also enabling other Blind, Physical and other Adult onset disabilities to be trained and enabled as Virtual Learning tutors and coaches, giving them an income even during pandemic times. We are also partnering with a Learning Social enterprise from Pakistan to make their AR learning programmes accessible by our local learning disabled students. We are partnering with Microsoft for Good to develop an accessible Call CRM system that can be operated by the Visually and Physically impaired people from the safety and comfort of their own homes as it can be done remotely.We are also enabling the Visually and Physically Impaired to do e-commerce, selling on the various platforms with various product suppliers. We are also partnering with a local Aquaponic Farm and an India based Agriculture AI developer to build PWD accessible urban farms to enable the PWDs trainees as Urban Farmers.

We attain revenues thru selling the reversal of roles Experiential programmes to the Public, Tourists, Schools, Universities, Corporations and Private Agencies.These programmes are theme park experiences evolving around the theme of empathy and team building workshops for organisations that are facilitated and hosted by trained Visually, Physically and Hearing Impaired youths and adults.Other revenues are from our various accessible enterprises such as a Café operated by a team of Learning Impaired baristas and hosts. We partner with all the graduated PWD trainees in their respective enterprises such as the Urban Farms, the Call Center services etc  

We are raising investment capital to scale our proven business model to earn more revenues from the sales of products and services to the public and organisations. Being a tax exempt organisation, we will also be annually running public events to gain even more awareness and grants/donations to further our works.

MAGIC, a Malaysian Government Agency Grant of USD 25,000.00 

ION Specs International Foundation Donation for Venue Rental USD50,000.00 

Revenues earned from sales of experiential events and workshops USD 50,000.00

We want to raise USD 750,000.00 by end 2021 to build our own permanent Dialogue Includes All Experience Center and Academy thru raising equity capital either from angel impact investors and crypto currencies investors as we aim to use block chain technology for our operations and impact reporting by 2022. The capital raised is to build the theme park Dialogue experiences and café which will be managed and operated by trained Visually, Physically, Hearing and Learning Impaired trainees. This Center will also showcase all the Project Includes enterprises. Capital raised will also be for Operations and Business development costs.

Estimated 2020 Budget USD : 150,000.00 to cover HR costs, Venue rental costs, Business Development costs, Amenities and other Miscellaneous expenses

Visibility and Credibility equals Profitability. This is how winning the Elevate prize will help our works. In terms of Visibility, winning the prize will introduce and validate our work to a global network of stakeholders that are already supporters of social impact amplified and magnified by the credible Elevate brand. Because of the credibility of Elevate, we can also be elevated credibly that will open many doors to a receptive global audience for our works to the many established stakeholders globally. These opening doors are crucial in overcoming the barriers that are hindering our progress i.e culture and market place acceptance, financial and technology resources etc Winning the prize will shorten the time for us to achieve profitability in our works to empower the PWDs communities globally

Our ultimate goal in securing Partnerships is to initiate and spark acceptance and adaptation of our works to include the often left behind PWDs. Partnerships brings together ideas and more importantly collaborations that can impact and transform landscapes. Partnerships can open doors and shorten the time one need to introduce ones work to create lasting impact. Partnerships fosters, harness and encourages empathy building.

Partnering with MIT Solve that can give us the access to hundreds of proven Innovators in technology and other solutions to help scale and expand our impact. We hope to be a part of this SOLVE community to learn and to partner with the many global like-minded Organisations. Partnering with MIT SOLVE would also help elevate and bring our works globally to assist even more PWDs communities.