Empowering Vulnerable Communities through Tech

Technology can empower and improve the quality of life for those in vulnerable communities. Some benefits of assistive technologies include improved accessibility and independence for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and seniors. To generate greater social impact from digital tools and applications, digital governments should take the lead in accelerating their development.

Through the Smart Nation initiative, we aim to use technology to build an inclusive society for all citizens and enhance the well-being of vulnerable communities. The implementation of assistive technologies is facilitated by government systems designed to improve service delivery.

eCanvas

The eCanvas is a voice-controlled assistive technology that provides support and greater independence for special needs users who have a passion for painting. A microphone connected to the eCanvas processes voice commands via a pre-trained neural network engine, allowing the canvas to move or dispense paint in the corresponding paint colour on the palette accordingly. Seven GovTech units have been deployed by partners from charity and social service organisations to date, including for users with cerebral palsy. In 2021, the eCanvas was featured in an art performance during the President’s Star Charity (PSC) showcase, an annual fundraising campaign by the President’s Office in Singapore.

GatherSG

GALE’s success highlighted strong demand for Case Collaboration tools across government agencies, especially in areas of assisted-living, social support and befrienders. Through GovTech’s engineering efforts, the technology behind GALE is reused and scaled up, resulting in the development of GatherSG. As the tech-stack version of GALE, GatherSG is a collaborative case coordination system for whole-of-government. With features such as a Kanban board and integrated video conferencing tool, it enables seamless data sharing among public officers for more efficient management of government projects and optimises cross-agency workflows to better serve citizens. Currently, there are four live Case Management Systems, with two more in the pipeline for various government agencies and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Across GALE and GatherSG, there are more than 780,000 clients onboarded and more than 650,000 case triggered to date.

Find out more about our tech for vulnerable communities here:

• eCanvas
• GatherSG