I have an ambitious bucket list for someone who needs help with almost everything physically. I want to watch Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge, their home stadium in West London, preferably on a Champions League night. I’d love to write my memoir and pursue a master’s degree in economics, systems…
Duchenne: Shalom's Lifelong Partner-in-Crime - a Column by Shalom Lim Ern Rong
Last Friday, my girlfriend, Amanda Yip, and I celebrated the second year of Rebirth Ensemble, the disability-led creative business we founded in Singapore in October 2024. We began with an ambition: to make art more accessible. Now, we’re exploring creative storytelling, multisensory art, and accessibility consultancy. Yet the biggest change…
Last week, I lost my dear friend Aloysius Teo, who passed away at the age of 40. Aloysius didn’t have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the progressive genetic condition I was born with, which weakens muscles over time, including those used for breathing and heart function. I use a wheelchair…
Living with Duchenne, columnist Shalom Lim reflects on how AI can improve accessibility and why people with disabilities must help shape its development.
On Sept. 6, I attended the launch of ReadSG at Singapore’s National Library to support my girlfriend, Amanda Yip. ReadSG is a five-year national movement by the National Library Board, Singapore’s public agency for libraries and archives, that encourages people to make reading an everyday habit, starting with…
A few days ago, my friend Reena Deen, a disabled independent filmmaker with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and dyslexia, shared with me that her film “The Damned Ones” was selected for the After Dark Program at the 2026 Torino Underground Cinefest. “The Damned Ones” is a mystery…
Last year, our family’s wheelchair-accessible van broke down due to a fault in its hydraulic ramp. From March to May 2025, my caregiver and I had no choice but to take the bus to my office. It was the first time I’d used public transportation in a decade. Back then,…
On July 3, I received some deeply personal news: “Lov-Able,” a short film starring my girlfriend, Amanda, and me, was selected for inclusion in AN/OTHER Film Festival in Fremantle, Australia. This disability-led event is presented by DADAA, an Australian arts organization that promotes access to culture for…
Last month, the Purple Parade featured my story on its website. Reading my profile prompted me to reflect on why I continue speaking up about living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and what I hope these conversations might achieve. The Purple Parade is Singapore’s largest disability-inclusion movement,…
Back in March, I wrote about how living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has shaped my perspective on accessible design. After decades of moving through systems that were not built with people like me in mind, I had come to appreciate how disability can offer valuable insights into…
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