Amanda Yip | Speaker & Artist

Leadership looks different for everyone and sometimes, it begins from within. In this article, Amanda Yip reflects on her journey through The Purple Parade’s Leadership Development Programme, and how what started as a space for growth became something much deeper. From building self-awareness and learning to communicate with intention, to navigating challenges with clarity, her experience reshaped not just how she works, but how she sees herself. Through meaningful conversations with her cohort and shared experiences, Amanda discovered that leadership isn’t just about career progression — it’s about how we lead ourselves, connect with others, and define what truly matters. Read the full article to learn more about Amanda’s journey and what it means to lead with clarity, purpose, and intention here! --> bit.ly/4ne8RNL The Purple Parade is Singapore ground-up inclusive moment and is #1of52programmes at @centralsgcdc #inclusionforall #SupportInclusion #CelebrateAbilities #ThePurpleParade

Two Saturdays ago, I almost got hit while crossing the road. The green man was already beeping, and I stepped forward trusting it was safe. In that moment, two cyclists sped straight through the crossing. They didn’t slow down, didn’t stop, and didn’t show any concern after. Someone beside me shouted, but they just carried on. I’m visually impaired. I rely on that sound to know when it’s safe to cross. I don’t have the luxury of reacting quickly to danger I can’t fully see. So when someone ignores that signal, it’s not just inconsiderate. It’s dangerous! I am still feeling shaken. How easily moments like this often get brushed off because “nothing happened.” But something almost did. For people like me, for seniors, for anyone who depends on these signals, we are trusting that others will respect them. When they don’t, that trust breaks and the consequences can be serious. A green man isn’t for show. It’s a promise of safety. And that promise should mean something for everyone! #RoadSafetySG #DisabilityInclusion #AccessibleSG #NearMissIsNotNothing #ProtectTheVulnerable

I almost got run over by two cyclists yesterday morning while crossing a green man. This is one of the biggest and most dangerous challenges blind people face every day. 😱 😟 #lta #landtransportauthority #trafficpolice

What should inclusion look like when it begins with different abilities? Three years ago, @justamandayip and @shalomlimernrong met at a cross-disability performing arts workshop at @art.dis.singapore They left with their eyes opened and horizons broadened. Today, they are three years in, marrying access with art and inclusion with love as a couple with the lived experiences of three different disabilities: physical, vision, and neurodivergence (ADHD). He can’t move without assistance, or even breathe without ventilation. His mind is also wired differently due to Duchenne's effects on early childhood development. And she can’t see much from severe retinal degeneration. Both have progressive disabilities. Yet, they found each other in their shared love for art and storytelling and a heart for better inclusion and representation. They became each other’s muses: He's her eyes, while she's his arms and legs, complementing their capabilities and supporting each other's disabilities. @rebirthensemble was born from that, out of a desire to reimagine visual art through sensory mediums and sustainable innovation. We created @wheeltheyeyedo to show how access, art and storytelling can be harnessed to build social awareness and inclusion. These milestones matter to us. But it is the moments that we treasure. Helping each other navigate access barriers just to get to work at @temaseklaunchpad , to get lunch, or even go out on a date. For us, the art of inclusion is about supporting each other interdependently. Join us in learning strategies for designing with people of different abilities, not just for. Connect with us today! ✉️: [email protected] 📱: 80838804 #WheelTheyEyeDo #RebirthEnsemble #DifferentAbilities #CoupleLife Image descriptions: Photo 1: Shalom (left) and Amanda (right) sitting closely in a café, smiling. Shalom uses a wheelchair and breathing tube. Plates of pasta and breakfast food sit in front, creating a relaxed, intimate dining moment together. Photo 2: Shalom (left) and Amanda (right) pose on a garden path. Shalom holds a picnic basket. Amanda stands close, smiling. Surrounding plants and a calm setting suggest a peaceful outing.

Have you wondered if blind people see colors? The answer isn’t as black and white as you might think. 🔴 I can still remember what red is but I don’t see it anymore. It’s more like a memory than an actual sight. Drop a 👍if you've ever thought about how different senses shape our experience. For people born blind, they’ve never known color, so it’s a whole different world for them. It made me realize perception isn’t just about what we see, but what we remember and experience. What’s something you’ve never truly thought about? Maybe it’s time to see the world from a different perspective… #BlindPerspective #SeeDifferently #PerceptionMatters #MindsetShift

Some inclusion is just… for show. Inclusion without empathy isn’t inclusion. It’s optics. Everything can look “right” on the surface, and still not feel right. Empathy is what makes inclusion real. #DisabilityInclusion #AccessibilityMatters #InclusionMatters #EmpathyFirst #SocialImpact

Last Saturday morning, the @purpleparade invited @justamandayip and @shalomlimernrong as well as coursemates from their pioneer and current cohort of its Leadership Development Programme to share on our lived experiences of disability with a group of JC students from @sajc_official . This was for The Purple Parade's third run of Purple Conversations, where disability advocates and the broader community engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange on how we can foster a more caring and inclusive ecosystem and society in Singapore, following successful runs last year with the youths from @itecollegecentral and @trybesg . As a couple with disabilities, we believe our unique story of interdependence and inclusion and shared voice can help shift perceptions about what people with disabilities can do and educate the community on what true belonging and citizenship in Singapore look like for us. Big shoutout to @access.sgp for your venue support, the @sajc_official student facilitators for your time, and the @purpleparade team for running this event. At Wheel They Eye Do, Rebirth Ensemble's outreach and public education arm, we build bridges through disability-led storytelling. We work with community partners like @imable.sg , Alexandra Primary School, @nlbsingapore , @purpleparade on events such as Purple Conversations and our inaugural public talk at Punggol Library for Enabling Lives Festival to advocate for, foster, and inspire greater inclusion in Singapore. For media and partnership enquiries, please contact us through the following. We're more than happy to chat! 💬 +65 8083 8804 ✉️ [email protected]

I think I’ve been lying to myself for quite a while. Years ago, I already lost drawing and painting. Like properly lost it. The kind where you know it’s not coming back the same way. I told myself it’s okay, I’ll switch to digital. I’ll figure something out. But last week I tried again. Just 20 minutes. And it hit me quite hard. Even that is not easy anymore. And I think that was the moment I had to stop pretending. All this time I’ve been holding on to this small hope that one day I’ll start creating new pieces again. But honestly… that hope is quite tiring. It keeps pulling me back to something I can’t really do anymore. Then the next day, I saw one of my old artworks. And I realised something quite simple. I don’t actually need to make new things to still call myself an artist. I’ve already made more than 20 pieces that I’m still proud of. I still like them. They’re still mine. That didn’t go away. Will I be able to create new work again? I don’t know. Maybe not. But have I already created things that matter to me? Yeah. Quite a lot actually. Maybe moving forward isn’t about getting something back, maybe it’s about finally seeing that I was never empty to begin with. P.S, I heard that last line as a quote from somewhere, but I can’t remember from where, but I totally agree with it now and I see what it means. 😊

What does it mean to be a woman and how many identities do we carry? I’m a woman who is slowly losing my sight. I am also an artist, an entrepreneur, a daughter, sister, auntie, Shalom’s girlfriend. For a long time, I stopped painting because my vision started to narrow and world became dimmer. I thought that part of my life was over. But I am gradually finding my way back. My paintings look different now, less precise, more felt. I paint with what I have, not what I used to have. I will keep creating for as long as I can. Shalom lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I live with vision impairment. Together we’re building something real through Rebirth Ensemble. International Women’s Day reminds me that there are many ways to be a woman, and many ways to keep going. Let’s keep making space for all of them. #InternationalWomensDay #DisabledAndArtist #DisabilityInclusion #WomenInArt #AccessibleArts

Image description; Amanda smiling gently, looking to the right of the photo. She is seating in a couch in a recording studio. First day back to work… 👩‍💻🎙️ #开公大吉🍊🍊 #BackToWork #RebirthEnsemble

Last night, Rebirth Ensemble spoke at @nus_singapore on AI in Social Work. We did not go in to talk about hype. We spoke about lived consequence. Rebirth Ensemble is not an AI company. We are a disability-led art studio. But AI is one of the tools that can empower persons with disabilities when it is designed responsibly. Amanda uses screen readers and computer vision apps daily because of progressive vision loss. Shalom navigates life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, where mobility and digital systems directly affect energy and independence. When technology works, it widens participation. When it fails, the impact is immediate. So we shared what we believe. AI must include disabled voices at the design stage. Accessibility cannot be an afterthought. Affordability, trust, and dignity matter as much as technical performance. At RE, this is how we approach art, spaces, and systems. Access is not about sympathy. It is about leadership. Organisations that embed access early build stronger trust, reach wider audiences, and make better long-term decisions. Grateful to NUS for holding space for a real conversation. #RebirthEnsemble #DisabilityLed #AccessibilityMatters #InclusiveDesign #ResponsibleTech

Rain always looks beautiful from indoors. But stepping out in the rain feels different when you have vision impairmen. One hand holds my white cane. The other holds an umbrella. The rain gets louder. The ground gets harder to read. Everything feels a lot more uncertain. And it’s not just me. Wheelchair users and many others face their own challenges too. Bad weather doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. It just reminds me how much everyday accessibility really matters. #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #VisuallyImpaired #InclusiveSingapore #EverydayAccess