Bishan Home for the Intellectualy Disabled

BISHAN HOME FOR THE INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED

Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled (BHID) is a residential home specially built to create a conducive environment for people with intellectual disabilities and age between 16 and 55 years old. With rooms beautifully decorated with colourful murals, the home provides a community setting which encourages social interaction and training of pre-vocational skills.

WHAT WE DO

Persons with Intellectual Disability (PWIDs) have an IQ of below 70 and may tend to learn skills at a slower pace, depending on their types of intellectual disabilities. Hence, instead of thinking that they need help in handling tasks, we can help them to empower themselves by having activities that encourage independence and ownership.

Thus, at NUS CSC @ Bishan Home (a regular volunteering programme), we aim to provide a cosy environment for our volunteers and community members to befriend one another, learn new skills, and have fun together. As such, we as volunteers can do our part by raising the public’s awareness of the Intellectually Disabled and help to remove people’s misconceptions about our clients. It is hoped that we do not just paint smiles on our community members and volunteers’ faces, but help to integrate the Intellectually Disabled into our society too.

Purple Parade

Games

3D Puzzle Assembly

ARTWORK

Take a look at some of the impressive masterpieces done by our community members at BHID!

Calligraphy

Handcrafted Stars

DIY Flowers and Clay Making

When and where

BHID is located at 6 Bishan St. 13 - a 10-minute walk from Bishan MRT. We conduct sessions on Fridays 2:30-4:30pm and/or Saturdays 9:30-11:30am. Our committee members will plan and come up with different thematic activities every session. Some of the exciting programmes we host are arts and crafts, physical games and exercise, and even impromptu karaoke sessions!

Celebrations and outings

On top of our regular visits, we conduct festive celebrations (Christmas Day etc.) and major outings where we recruit sub-committee members from our volunteer pool to plan and execute these activities. In AY24/25, we celebrated Easter, as well as Christmas together with the residents at BHID. Our community members go to decorate their very own easter eggs, christmas portraits, and make christmas figurines using pipe cleaners! Psst, we are planning an outing in April where we will be bringing the residents to Gardens by the Bay. Be sure to sign up if you’re interested in tagging along! 🙂

COME JOIN US

Volunteering is at the very core of being a human.
No one has made it through life without someone else’s help

- Heather French Henry

At the start, communication with buddies may seem to be a tough job due to the lack of skills to interact with buddies who may have troubles expressing themselves fluently. However, there is a first time for everything. As long as you persevere with sincerity and the heart to truly know them better, they will slowly warm up to you. There are always senior volunteers around to guide newcomers along too! Never feel shy to ask questions.

For any volunteering opportunities, feel free to reach out to our VMs on Telegram @nicoleee_low.

HEAR FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS / OC

I have been volunteering with BHID for two years, and every session has been incredibly meaningful. From events like the Purple Parade to crafting activities, I have had the chance to build genuine connections with both the residents and fellow volunteers. This experience has taught me empathy, patience and the importance of being fully present, while also helping me grow in confidence and appreciation for inclusivity and community. The little moments we share in each session make volunteering with truly BHID memorable.

- Li Min, Y2 Computer Science

Volunteering at BHID has been one of the core memories of my university life! Every session is filled with meaningful interactions with the residents and they always ask us if we are coming back. I had so much fun volunteering at BHID and I hope to continue volunteering here!

- Clara, Y4 Communications & New Media

Watching the excitement and delight of the beneficiaries during the simple crafts and game activities we organise reminds me to count the small joys in my own life! So thankful for the trust that I've built with the residents at BHID over many sessions, and for the intimate stories they have shared about their family and childhood! Getting to know them a bit more every session has helped me understand how I might befriend and support PWIDs better in simple ways.

- Annette, Y3 Life Science

Hello! This is already my second semester with BHID and it is truly an enriching experience to befriend the residents while teaching them arts and crafts and sometimes helping out with sports-themed activities and the Purple Parade. I will definitely continue beyond year 1 as it also helps me build values like patience and empathy, while providing a safe environment for residents and volunteers alike to learn!

- Guan Xian, Y2 Business

meet our committee

find us

Feel free to contact us at nuscsc.bhid@gmail.com

Follow us on social media for more

Please reach out to our friendly PDs on Telegram @aneggfriedthisrice or @kieriacarrots for any queries!

Learn more about Bishan Home