Cultivating Resilience & Fortitude 培養韌性和毅力
On November 30th 2024, the YAMA Foundation held their Accessible Wellbeing Conference at Quarryside, with this year’s conference theme centred around “Cultivating Resilience and Fortitude”. Embracing YAMA’s heartfelt philosophy that everyone has the right to feel good in their body, the event featured an uplifting line-up of recreational activities and panel discussions that promoted inclusive wellbeing for all. Focused on fun, freedom, friends and family, the panel discussions, highlighted resilience, and support. Guest speakers included: Lai Chi Wai (Champion Rock Climber, Motivational Speaker and Sports Coach), Ajmal Samuel (Founder of The Association of Universal Accessibility Hong Kong), Margaret Chung Lai Kai (Founder of BEYOND Children’s Special Needs Foundation), and Dr. Czarina Leung (Award-Winning Humanitarian Health and Public Health Expert). The panellists shared their expertise in advocacy and accessibility with honesty, humour, and empathy, with discussions becoming open forums for attendees to ask any questions and share their own challenges and experiences.
Honesty, vulnerability, and hope were shared values in the Parent Support Q&A session, with Margaret Chung (Founder of BEYOND Children’s Special Needs Foundation), Marcia Ng (Co-Founder and Executive Director of the "Hong Kong Association for AD/HD"), Cruzanne Macalligan (Co-Vice Chair, The Child Development Centre), and Lynne Mulholland (Vice Chairperson, Special Needs Network of Hong Kong (SNNHK)). Moderated by YAMA Foundation Board Member, Pilar Morais, the group discussed the dark clouds—and silver linings—of parenting children with disabilities and shared both practical and philosophical approaches to finding support and continuing to be their children’s champions. They were united in their resilience and spirit of advocacy and had a shared passion for advocating to improve inclusivity in society.
As is the purpose and mission of YAMA, the conference also highlighted the many ways that people of all abilities and neurodiversity can have fun and experience wellbeing. From yoga, and dance, to fitness, mindful colouring, sound healing and a ZENsory zone, there were sensory opportunities for exploration for everyone. The conference also provided a great meet and greet space for other families to connect with like minds and kindred spirits—an opportunity that is welcomed by many who can feel isolated by their own disability or in the parenting of children with disabilities. Information booths and activity stations were also set up by other NGOs, centres, and services, to equip attendees with resources and support networks.
The day was an energetic celebration, and a great success. Guest speaker, Cruzanne Macalligan commented, “There are too few opportunities in Hong Kong for people of all backgrounds and abilities to celebrate one another’s differences and be proud of diversity. The YAMA Accessible Wellbeing Conference was this great crowd of people being themselves, feeling good, and connecting with each other in this beautiful, supportive, caring, and welcoming space”. Here’s to continuing to facilitate and celebrate this great community in 2025.
Of course, collaboration is everything, and we thank our generous sponsors for their belief in our vision: lululemon, Swire Trust, St.James’s Place Charitable Foundation and the Hong Kong Club Foundation. The day would not have been possible without your support.
2024年11月30日，YAMA 基金會 在「舍區 QUARRYSIDE」舉行了無障礙身心健康大會，今年的主題是 “培養韌性和毅力”。 秉承YAMA熱衷的理念，即每個人都擁有令自己的身心感覺良好自在的權利。是次大會以一系列令人振奮的娛樂活動和小組討論為特色，以促進所有人的包容性福祉。 更側重於樂趣、自由、朋友和家人，小組討論強調"韌性和支持"的信息。 演講嘉賓包括：黎志偉（攀石冠軍、勵志演講嘉賓及運動教練）、施 杰 浩 Ajmal Samuel（香港無障通達協會創辦人）、鐘麗淇（BEYOND 特殊需求兒童基金會創辦人）及梁子杏醫生（人道主義健康及公共衛生專家）。 小組討論成員以誠實、幽默和同理心分享了他們在倡導和無障礙方面的專業知識，討論成為讓到會者提出任何問題並分享自己的挑戰和經驗的開放式論壇。
在支援家長問答環節中，鐘麗淇（BEYOND 特殊需求兒童基金會創辦人）、伍敏姿（專注不足/過度活躍症 (香港) 協會合創人兼執行董事）、 Cruzanne Macalligan（明德兒童啟育中心聯合副主席）和 Lynne Mulholland（香港特殊需求網路 (SNNHK) 副主席），以及YAMA 基金會董事會成員 Pilar Morais 的主持下，分享了坦誠、高敏和富希望的價值觀。該小組討論了養育殘疾兒童的烏雲和一線希望，並分享了尋求支持和繼續成為孩子的捍衛者的實用和哲學方法。他們團結一致，堅韌不拔，倡導精神，對倡導提高社會包容性懷著共同的熱情。
正如 YAMA 的宗旨和使命一樣，會議還強調各種能力和神經多樣性的人可以透過多種方式體驗樂趣和身心福祉。 從瑜伽、舞蹈到健身、正念著色、聲頻治療和靜感區，每個人都有探索感官的機會。 大會還為其他家庭提供了一個極佳的會見和交流平台，好讓因自己的殘疾或養育殘疾兒童而感到孤立志同道合者建立聯系，這是一個受歡迎的空間。 其他非政府組織、中心和服務機構也設立了資訊亭和活動攤位，為到會者提供資源和支援網絡。
當天是一個充滿活力的慶祝活動，取得了巨大的成功。 嘉賓發言人 Cruzanne Macalligan 評論道：“在香港，各種背景和能力的人慶祝彼此差異並為多樣性感到自豪的機會太少了。YAMA 無障礙身心健康大會是一羣在這個美麗、互助互愛和開懷的空間中做自己、感覺良好並相互聯系的羣眾”。 讓我們在 2025 年繼續促進和慶祝這個偉大的社羣。
當然，"合作" 就是一切，我們衷心感謝慷慨的贊助商們對我們願景的信任：lululemon、太古信託、聖雅各坊慈善基金會和香港會基金。如果沒有你們的支持，這一天是不可能達成的。