“Before JOURNEY, our trainees’ artworks were often put aside. By translating their creations into products available to the wider public, their work can be recognised. This helps raise awareness of their talents, challenge perceptions about their abilities, and most importantly, create opportunities for them to earn income.”
– Vanessa Lam, Head of JOURNEY, Transformation Office (Special Projects)
At TOUCH Centre for Independent Living and the JOURNEY Fulfilment Centre, trainees are engaged in a range of purposeful work each day. They create original artworks, pack products, and prepare for community roadshows as part of their development of vocational and life skills.
Around the centre, shelves are lined with artworks waiting to be transformed into products – from bright abstracts bursting with colour to flowers, sea creatures, animals, and handwritten patterns. Each piece is created with care, reflecting the creativity, dedication and potential of its creator.
Years ago, many of these artworks would simply have been brought home or stored away. Today, they find new audiences through commercial product collections, corporate gifting partnerships, retail collaborations and public exhibitions. Some have even been showcased at Milan Design Week
Behind every product is an artist with intellectual disability whose work is now recognised, celebrated and valued.
What started as an ELI Grant-funded project titled “It’s SPECIAL! I NEED THIS!” has since grown into JOURNEY, an award-winning homegrown Singapore brand under TOUCH Community Services. More than a brand, JOURNEY reflects a larger vision of creating opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities to contribute, be recognised and live with greater independence.
A Gap Beyond the Classroom
When Vanessa Lam joined TOUCH Community Services in 2015, she saw the challenges faced by many adults with intellectual disabilities, particularly the lack of meaningful opportunities to participate in society and the workforce.
At TOUCH Centre for Independent Living, trainees had long participated in visual arts programmes as part of their development. Yet for many requiring mid-to high-levels of support, limited opportunities to showcase their work or generate income meant that employment remained out of reach despite years of training.
The team at TOUCH Community Services began exploring a question: could creative work become a sustainable way for persons with intellectual disabilities to develop skills, build confidence, and exercise greater agency?
When the ELI Grant Call opened in 2019, it created an opportunity to test this idea. Project It’s SPECIAL! I NEED THIS! was created to explore how artwork by persons with intellectual disabilities could be transformed into market-ready products while supporting trainees in developing practical skills and greater autonomy.
The initiative evolved into JOURNEY, reflecting the growth of the artists and a broader vision for inclusion and opportunity.
The Support of ELI Grant That Made it Possible
The ELI Grant became the foundation for JOURNEY’s early development, allowing the team to test a new idea and demonstrate how the creative talents of persons with intellectual disabilities could be translated into meaningful work.
At the start, the risks were significant. Production costs were high, and there was uncertainty over whether the products would find a market. With the support of the ELI Grant, the team developed the initial proof-of-concept, worked with 60 artists, and explored how their artworks could become commercially viable products.
The pilot laid the groundwork for what JOURNEY would later become. As the initiative grew, the team expanded its operations, built an e-commerce platform, strengthened art training, and hired professional art coaches to help the artists refine their skills beyond regular visual art lessons.
Through the programme, trainees also took on responsibilities such as packing, quality control and participating in roadshows, where they introduced themselves and shared stories behind their art with members of the public.
For many, these moments were transformative. Trainees who once found it difficult to speak with strangers gradually became more confident interacting with customers. Others gained greater independence through work routines and travelling to the centre.
In addition, the programme also introduced a sustainable model where artists receive royalties when their artworks are used on products, not as charity but as recognition and ownership – a chance for the artists to contribute meaningfully and be valued for their work.
Small Purchases, Big Impact
For many artists in JOURNEY, the programme’s impact was not measured only through exhibitions or collaborations, but through moments of independence that once felt out of reach.
Vanessa recalls one artist using his earnings to buy himself a Donald Duck T-shirt for Christmas, while another hoped to contribute to his family by helping with utility bills. During a roadshow, several trainees used the earnings to enjoy a meal together at KFC. These everyday choices represent something much bigger: the pride and independence that come from earning for themselves.
One artist who experienced this transformation firsthand is Shennie Yang, who has been part of JOURNEY since its early days. Known for her colourful artworks inspired by animals, flowers, and nature, Shennie gradually developed her artistic skills and confidence through the programme. Her works have since appeared in collaborations with organisations such as UOB Painting of the Year, Gardens by the Bay, and WWF Singapore.
Beyond art creation, Shennie also began participating in roadshows and exhibitions, where she shared the stories behind her work with the public. Through JOURNEY, she also picked up skills in packing and warehouse operations and now works twice a week as a warehouse assistant. Earning an income gave her a stronger sense of independence. One of the first things she bought with her earnings was an umbrella and tote bag featuring her own artwork.
“Last time, I didn’t dare to talk to strangers,” she shared. Today, she speaks with noticeably more confidence.
For Vanessa and the team, Shennie’s journey represents what inclusion can look like: not simply visibility, but the opportunity to contribute, participate, and thrive.
From Ubi to the World Stage
What began in a small packing workstation within the TOUCH Centre for Independent Living in Ubi has since grown far beyond what the team first imagined.
Within less than a year, JOURNEY expanded into a warehouse space at Ubi Techpark as demand grew. Today, the brand has its own showroom, a network of returning corporate clients and collaborations with major organisations locally and internationally.
The ELI Grant helped JOURNEY move from a small initiative into a platform for greater opportunities. By supporting the development of its operations, products and outreach efforts, the grant enabled the artists’ works to reach wider audiences. Through partnerships with brands such as SUPERMAMA, JOURNEY’s Arita porcelain plates were showcased at Milan Design Week, while collaborations with WWF Singapore and Gardens by the Bay brought the artists’ creativity through a life-sized tiger painting and an exhibition of 50 artworks.
For many of the artists, these experiences represent more than milestones. They create pathways to build confidence, develop real-world skills, and contribute with purpose and pride. The impact can be seen in artists like Shennie, who has gained the opportunity to earn an income, grow in independence and be recognised for her abilities and creativity.
While JOURNEY products are currently showcased at Enabling Village, Vanessa hopes this is just the beginning. In time, she envisions JOURNEY reaching more retail spaces, and eventually having a dedicated physical store, where visitors from around the world can discover the artists’ stories firsthand and leave with a deeper understanding of what inclusion and opportunity can truly look like.
