Finding the Rainbows of Life: Exploring Dignity, Inclusion and Meaning amongst Micro Business Academy Families

Dignity, inclusion, and meaning – these are what we start to explore and seek when we complete our studies and move on to the next phase of life as working adults. For young persons graduating from special education schools, this is an especially uphill challenge when they are hindered by the lack of conventional job opportunities and the support needed. Thus, the Capstone team worked with Rainbow Centre, Singapore to document the impact of the Micro Business Academy (MBA) on making meaningful work possible for young persons with differing abilities through home-based and/or caregiver-supported work opportunities.

The team adopted qualitative research methods of participant observations and interviews to understand the impact and journey of four families in the MBA programme. Being the first to explore and understand what meaningful work looks and feels like for these families, the team also proposed suggestions for the future development of more precise metrics to evaluate the MBA’s impact over the mid-to-long-term.