A group of 11 polytechnic students unveiled Elfie, an AI chatbot designed to centralise information on special educational needs (SEN) support for students in Singapore. The tool aggregates data that is typically scattered across multiple school, organisational, and government agency websites to offer personalised assistance based on user needs [1, 2].
The project was inspired by 20-year-old Matthew Lim, who has Coats disease causing gradual blindness in one eye. Lim said, "Information would be buried below layers of buttons or menus. So I guided the team to focus more on increasing the accessibility of knowledge" [1].
Elfie was showcased on May 19, 2026, at the South West Community Inno Lab Symposium held at the Singapore University of Technology and Design [1, 2]. The South West Community Inno Lab is a collaborative effort launched in 2024 involving the South West Community Development Council and nine higher education institutes. It engages over 100 students who develop AI and other solutions addressing about 10 local community issues, such as pest control, waste management, SEN workshops, and accessibility improvements [1, 2].
Besides Lim, project team member Elijah Yuen highlighted the practical challenge for students with SEN. He said, "When students with SEN enrol into tertiary education, they have to declare their learning disability. They might miss this window, especially since our inbox is flooded with emails during the first week of school" [1].
Ministers Desmond Lee and Low Yen Ling spoke at the symposium, noting the impact of youth-led projects. Both confirmed the continuation of funding up to £10,000 for community solutions developed by students [1, 2].
The South West Community Inno Lab will maintain its efforts supporting student innovators developing AI tools like Elfie to improve support access and community well-being.
