Mr Raymond Lim whirls his partner across the dance floor, shimmying to the infectious beat of the samba. He executes a graceful turn and then beams at his partner.

The only difference between him and other ballroom aficionados – he is in a wheelchair.

He and 20 other wheelchair dancers are among the groups performing at this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) on Aug 9.

The parade this year seeks to celebrate performers of every stripe and colour – the disabled, the elderly and foreigners included.

Mr Lim and the members of the D’Passion Wheelchair Dance Group have been rehearsing twice a week at Kampong Ubi Community Club for three months. “Always go to your ‘parking lot’!” barks instructor William Tok at those out of position, and the errant ones wheel back in line sheepishly.

It is less than two months to showtime, and the sessions are intense. Mr Tok said, despite their handicaps, performers can still show off dance flourishes through upper body movements. The moves are customised to suit the performers’ different handicaps.

Mr Lim, a 59-year-old assistant manager in a freight forwarding company, who had polio when he was a baby, has been dancing with the group for three years now. He said dancing helps him relax after a week of work. The other bonus, he added with a grin: “I get to hold a girl’s hand!”

For the group, participating in the parade has brought them 20 new wheelchairs, courtesy of a $60,000 sponsorship by Sembcorp.

Group co-founder Amy Leng said that during rehearsals, the dancers have made do by sharing six wheelchairs. The 20 new ones – special lightweight sport models that are smoother and more responsive – arrive next week.

Another group of performers are the hearing-impaired from the Touch Silent Club, who will do a dance on spring-loaded stilts. When strapped on, the devices, known as Powerisers, enable them to hop, skip and jump.

Balancing on them is an art in itself, or so 16-year-old Jack Sim discovered. It took three training sessions before he could even walk on them.

The group has been rehearsing with an interpreter, who uses sign language.

Colonel Tay Boon Kai, NDP show committee chairman, said of the performers: “Despite their disabilities or age, they are still determined to put up a good show. It’s the true Singapore spirit on display.”

Other performers roped into the parade include people at both ends of the age spectrum.

The oldest is 76-year-old retiree Tang Sim Peng, who will perform with members of the Country Line Dance Association.

He said of the experience: “If I don’t grab this opportunity now, who knows whether another will come along?”

The baby of this year’s parade, nine-year-old Anirudh Ganesh from Tanjong Katong Primary School, has also been hard at work practising his turn.

He has even been singing in front of his mirror for his song-and-dance performance with other pupils of his school.

In line with the push for inclusiveness, the parade organisers have gone out of their way to accommodate spectators with disabilities. A special area has been set aside for wheelchair-bound ticket holders.

Embracing the spirit off the parade square

The spirit of inclusion is not just limited to this year’s National Day Parade.

Of late, Singapore has strived to make those from all walks of life – from foreigners to the disabled – feel at home.

New programmes and investments have improved accessibility for the disabled and boosted their chances of employment.

The Government has set aside $200 million for better lifts, ramps, grab bars and wheelchair-friendly toilets in
public areas and buildings, to be installed between now and 2011.

The programmes include the Building and Construction Authority’s Accessibility Fund, which offers grants of up to $150,000.

So far, 13 property owners have applied for the grant and three buildings have been retrofitted, including the Singapore Power office.

Getting around is also easier with SBS Transit’s 400 wheelchair-accessible buses. Another 300 are on the way.

MRT stations islandwide are also disabled-friendly.

To keep some of the 150,000 expatriate Singaporeans connected, overseas clubs were set up in Sydney and Melbourne last year. More are under way in Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.

Come the next general election in 2011, more Singaporeans abroad will have a say in the country’s future, following a decision by the Government to relax voting rules.

Singapore has also aggressively courted foreign talent. Last year, the foreign population – who include professionals, workers, students and their families – exceeded one million for the first time.

Taste of home for Singaporeans overseas

WHILE Singaporeans living overseas might be missing out on this year’s National Day Parade (NDP), they will still get a taste of home.

Expatriates from Vietnam to Chicago are planning to come together to feast on traditional Singaporean delights and watch the festivities over the Internet.

In a suburban park in Chicago, Singaporean housewives will dish out sumptuous local delights such as fried beehoon, beef rendang and ice kacang, pasar-malam style, to a group of about 100 Singaporean students and professionals.

Over in Perth, chicken curry and Hokkien mee are on the menu for up to 200 students at the University of Western
Australia.

Meanwhile, parade organisers are still working on the system that allows Singaporeans abroad to watch the festivities over the Internet.

Last year, the online streaming was beset by glitches and delays. Still, 20 out of the 50 overseas associations contacted by the committee are planning to log on.

Die-hard NDP fans from Qatar to Thailand are not taking any chances with the feed. They plan to get their hands on DVDs of the preview show.

Murdoch University’s Singapore Link, a students’ association in Perth, will bring about 50 students and professionals together to watch the parade.

Said its 24-year-old vice-president Phua Boon Pu: “The opportunity to meet and gather as Singaporeans outweighs any potential disruptions.”