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Opening Remarks by Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social & Family Development Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, at Zero Project Asia Pacific Symposiumand Inclusive Business Forum 2024

Type: Official Speeches (All), Official Speeches: Eric Chua,

Topic(s): Disability Services,

Published on 28 November 2024

  •  Prof Dr Michael Fembek

Chief Executive Officer, Zero Project

 

Mr Moses Lee,

Chairman, SG Enable

 

Board members of SG Enable,

 

Ms Ku Geok Boon,

Chief Executive Officer, SG Enable

 

Partners, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

  1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to join all of you here today at the Zero Project Asia Pacific Symposium that is held in conjunction with the Inclusive Business Forum 2024.
    • This Symposium and Forum bring together Zero Project’s network with regional leaders and innovators across Asia Pacific to advocate and advance disability-inclusive practices.

2. As Singapore’s focal agency for disability and inclusion, SG Enable has been championing efforts with partners to create equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities.

  • Last year, in 2023, SG Enable and Zero Project collaborated to build bridges between the global network and Asia Pacific to curate and share innovative solutions and research driving disability inclusion, in support of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

3. Building on last year’s momentum, the theme for this year’s symposium focuses on Employment. It includes discussions on inclusive spaces and technology, and brings together regional and international perspectives, and I’m sure that all of us will benefit from the rich discussions this morning. Disability-inclusive employment not only strengthens business culture, but also contributes to sustained economic and social gains. 

  • Such findings have also been validated in the local context. A study commissioned by SG Enable in 2022 found that employees in companies with disability-inclusive practices report a stronger sense of purpose, which in turn led to higher staff retention rates.

    4. We hope that more employers will recognise the benefits of disability-inclusion at the workplace and come onboard to be disability-inclusive employers.  
    • In September this year, the EMP2030 Taskforce on Promoting Inclusive Employment Practices released its recommendations, one of which is to grow and develop the capabilities of inclusive employers. To do so, we will leverage inclusive hiring champions in key sectors that employ persons with disabilities, and enhance support for employers to put in place inclusive hiring practices through a new Employer Development Grant.
    • Employers can also tap on a range of existing support such as workshops on disability awareness and inclusion conducted by the Enabling Academy – SG Enable’s disability learning hub. They can also access funding support through the Open Door Programme Training Grant and Job Redesign Grant. Our aim is to increase the employment rate of persons with disabilities to our aspirational target of 40% by 2030. Today,we are at 32.7%. One thing we are clear about this, is that the Government cannot do this alone, and need to work in partnerships with corporates. 


      Scaling Up of Innovation

    5. While these initiatives focus on the workplace, we recognise that true inclusion extends beyond office walls to the broader built environment.
    • Today, I am very honoured to be witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between SG Enable, Singapore Land Authority, and the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore. Some of you who attended last year’s SG Enable x Zero Project Forum may be familiar with this project as it was one of the featured innovations.
    6. After a successful pilot that began with mapping over 1,100 kilometres of accessible pathways in Singapore, Singapore Land Authority and SG Enable are scaling up this tripartite collaboration. The inclusion of Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore in this endeavour represents our commitment to provide end-to-end accessibility, extending not only to outdoor areas, but also to commercial spaces, which are spaces that all Singaporeans love. This expansion is a strong signal of our determination to have inclusive infrastructure that is accessible to all Singaporeans.

    7. To conclude, I look forward to the learning and connections that will be made in the symposium and forum today. Ultimately, we want to make it possible for people of all abilities to participate fully in society, and to reach their fullest potential in life.

    8. Let us commit to turning the insights from this symposium into tangible actions, because together, we can achieve our vision where inclusivity is not just an ideal in our minds, but a lived reality, where every individual, regardless of ability, can contribute fully and thrive and flourish. Thank you.