The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced today a suite of
new initiatives to enhance the support for persons with disabilities and their
families, across
their life stages. These efforts will further support MSF’s vision to empower
persons with
disabilities to achieve their potential and participate as integral and contributing
members of
our society.
Progress under the Third Enabling Masterplan
2. The first Enabling
Masterplan was launched in 2007 to serve as roadmaps for
Singapore to build a more inclusive society for persons with disabilities. Since
2007, we have
progressively put in place more support for persons with disabilities at every stage
of their
lives, and to smoothen the transition between life stages, such as from one’s
schooling years
into the workforce. We are currently on our Third Enabling Masterplan (EMP3), under
which
significant improvements have been made in areas such as early intervention, early
childhood education and schooling. The public can learn more about these
developments
through a new website: https://go.gov.sg/emp-microsite.
Recommendations and Initiatives Arising from the Workgroups on Employment and
Independent Living
3. Two EMP3 Workgroups, on
Preparing Persons with Disabilities for the Future
Economy (“Employment Workgroup”), and the other on Promoting Independent Living of
Persons with Disabilities through Technology and Design (“Independent Living
Workgroup”)
were launched in 2019 to develop recommendations in the areas of employment and
independent living. Over the past two years, the Workgroups consulted and engaged
close
to 300 persons with disabilities, their family members and caregivers, and
disability social
service agencies (SSAs). They have now completed their work and released their
recommendations. Further background information on the two Workgroups can be found
at
Annex A-1. The Government is supportive of these recommendations,
and had begun
implementing some of them over the past year.
4. One key initiative arising
from the Employment Workgroup recommendations, is MSF’s plan to pilot the
development of Enabling Business Hubs (EBH).
a. Many persons with disabilities are capable of work.
But some may need
customised support, such as on-site job support and a structured environment to
work in. Persons with disabilities and their caregivers had shared with the
Employment Workgroup that they would like more opportunities for supported
employment, closer to where they live.
b. Going forward, MSF will pilot the development of an
EBH where inclusive
employers will offer employment and on-the-job training to persons with
disabilities.
These hubs will be equipped with customised facilities and services, including
on-site
job coach support. The EBH pilot is expected to be operational from 2023 onwards.
5. A key initiative arising
from the Independent Living Workgroup recommendations, is
the push to further identify and address accessibility gaps in the built environment
through
two new community partnership groups.
a. While there have been continual efforts to enhance
accessibility in the built
environment, including through the Building Construction Authority’s (BCA) Code on
Accessibility in the Built Environment and BCA’s Accessibility Fund, persons with
disabilities had shared that there are still areas that can be made more accessible,
such as last mile gaps in barrier-free accessibility, especially in areas within the
city
centre where there are older developments.
b. Two community partnership groups will be set up later this year to identify and
address accessibility gaps in the Central Business District, and in a Housing
& Development Board (HDB) town. There will be opportunities for interested individuals
and organisations to participate in the accessibility audits. Details will be shared
later.
6. These two EMP3 Workgroups
have developed 21 recommendations in total, which
will be implemented progressively over the next few years. The Employment
Workgroup’s 10
recommendations seek to better prepare students with special educational needs for
employment, create new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities,
support
them in upgrading their skills, and better recognise and incentivise inclusive
employers. The
Independent Living Workgroup’s 11 recommendations are focused on improving
accessibility in the built environment, ensuring access to information and services,
increasing adoption of assistive technology, and raising awareness of disability and
promoting inclusion. The full list of recommendations, and joint initiatives in
response to
these recommendations, can be found in Annex A-2 and Annex A-3.
7. Mr Masagos Zulkifli,
Minister for Social and Family Development and Second
Minister for Health, said “At the heart of these recommendations, is a vision for an
inclusive
society, one in which everyone knows that they belong. These recommendations
underscore MSF’s commitment to helping persons with disabilities and their families,
from
their early years, through the schooling years, and into adulthood. Our aim is to
create a
more caring and inclusive society that enables every person to fulfil their
potential. MSF
looks forward to working closely together with our partners to implement these
recommendations.”
8. Apart from the
recommendations by these Workgroups, MSF will also announce
other measures later this month to enhance support for (i) families of persons with
disabilities with higher support needs, including those who require care services,
and (ii)
children with developmental needs. These measures underscore our commitment to
support
and empower persons with disabilities at every stage of life. Through the collective
effort and
close partnership of the people, private and public sectors, we can build a
stronger, more
inclusive and caring society in Singapore.
ANNEX A-1: BACKGROUND ON ENABLING MASTERPLAN
WORKGROUPS ON (I) EMPLOYMENT, AND (II) INDEPENDENT LIVING
ANNEX A-2: SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT
BY THE WORKGROUP ON PREPARING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY
ANNEX A-3: SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM THE REPORT BY THE
WORKGROUP ON PROMOTING INDEPENDENT LIVING OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
ANNEX A-4: LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE WORKGROUP ON
PREPARING PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY, AND
WORKGROUP ON PROMOTING INDEPENDENT LIVING OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
ANNEX B: LIST OF TRANSLATED TERMS
ANNEX C: REPORT BY THE EMP3 WORKGROUP ON PROMOTING IINDEPENDENT LIVING OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
ANNEX D: REPORT BY THE EMP3 WORKGROUP ON PREPARING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY
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ANNEX A-1: BACKGROUND ON ENABLING MASTERPLAN WORKGROUPS ON (I) EMPLOYMENT, AND (II)
INDEPENDENT LIVING
1. The EMP3 Workgroups on
Preparing Persons with Disabilities for the Future
Economy (“Employment Workgroup”), and on Promoting Independent Living of Persons
with
Disabilities through Technology and Design (“Independent Living Workgroup”) were
launched in 2019 to develop recommendations in the areas of employment and
independent
living.
2. Based on the Ministry of
Manpower’s Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, the
average employment rate1 for resident persons with disabilities in the
working ages of 15 to
64 is around 29%. The average unemployment rate2 of resident persons with
disabilities
aged 15 to 64 was 11.7%, higher than the unemployment rate of 4.7% for non-persons
with
disabilities.
3. To further support the
employment of persons with disabilities, the first Workgroup on
Preparing Persons with Disabilities for the Future Economy, co-chaired by Minister
for Social
and Family Development and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli, and
President of
the Autism Resource Centre Denise Phua, developed recommendations to improve the
employability of persons with disabilities and better prepare them for the future
economy.
The Workgroup has also worked with agencies to provide input to the specific
initiatives to
be implemented in response to these recommendations.
4. The report lays out the
Workgroup’s recommendations in three key areas:
a. Improving capabilities at all life stages;
b. Creating and sustaining work opportunities;
c. Recognising and incentivising employers.
5. The second Workgroup on
Promoting Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities
through Technology and Design is co-chaired by Minister for Social and Family
Development and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli and Board Advisory Panel
member of SPD Chia
Yong Yong. The Workgroup has developed recommendations, and worked with agencies to
co-create specific initiatives, to improve the ability of persons with disabilities
to live
independently, by leveraging technology and design.
6. The report lays out the
Workgroup’s recommendations in four key areas:
a. Improving accessibility in built environment and
transportation;
b. Ensuring access to information and services;
c. Adopting assistive technology to support self-care at
home and connecting to
community; and
d. Raising awareness of disability and promoting
inclusion.
7. Some of the recommendations
have already been implemented, and other
recommendations will be progressively implemented from the second half of 2021. A
summary of the recommendations can be found in Annex A-2 and Annex A-3.
1 Based on MOM’s Comprehensive Labour
Force Survey, the average resident employment rate for persons with
disabilities aged 15-64 was 28.2% in 2018-2019 and 29.0% in 2019-2020. The use of
two-year moving averages
is to smoothen out year on year fluctuations due to the relatively small number of
persons with disabilities. Data is
not seasonally adjusted.
2 Based on MOM’s Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, the average unemployment rate for resident persons with disabilities aged 15-64 who was 11.2% in 2018-2019 and 11.7% in 2019-2020. The use of two-year moving averages is to smoothen out year on year fluctuations due to the relatively small number of persons with disabilities. Data is not seasonally adjusted.
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ANNEX A-2: SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT BY THE
WORKGROUP ON PREPARING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY
3 The i’mable Collective is a
multi-sectoral platform that fosters meaningful collaborations between artists,
craft
makers, designers, enterprises and persons with disabilities to develop quality
merchandise, to create enterprise
opportunities with a vision for a viable market of goods and services created
by/with persons with disabilities,
supporting their meaningful engagement and employment.
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ANNEX A-3: SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT BY THE
WORKGROUP ON PROMOTING INDEPENDENT LIVING OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
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ANNEX A-4: LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE WORKGROUP ON PREPARING PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY, AND
WORKGROUP ON PROMOTING INDEPENDENT LIVING OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN
Past Members:
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