Opening Remarks from Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming at the Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities Press Conference
A Lifelong Journey
1. Firstly, a very good afternoon to everyone. Thanks for coming to today’s press conference and welcome to the Enabling Village. My fellow Taskforce members and I have been busy at work over the last nine to ten months since it was set up in December last year when Prime Minister announced it, also here at Enabling Village.
2. One of the things we focussed on in the last nine to ten months when we went around talking to people, was about what worried them and what is the assurance we can provide for them.
3. When this Taskforce first started its work, our first task was to go about talking to people. We had a lot of focus group sessions where we engaged persons with disabilities and their family members, to understand what are some of their aspirations, lived experiences and concerns.
4. The questions revolved around “What do I do when I graduate from school?” “How do I seek and stay in employment?”, “How do I retire if I wish to?” “When circumstances change fundamentally, who can I go to?”. These conversations then shaped our interpretation of what assurance stands for persons with disabilities and their families.
5. From our vision, there are four key statements we wanted to achieve. First, we want our young persons to be equipped with work-ready and soft skills, so that they can have the confidence to take the next step in life. Next, we want our persons with disabilities, if they wish, to be able to find a job, grow in their role and pursue a career. Third, we want our families to be able to plan ahead with some confidence, (and) more certainty, knowing that the right plans and support structures are in place. Fourth, we want to build a community that welcomes persons with disabilities and, over time, be a society where they feel they belong to.
6. Ultimately, we want persons with disabilities to know that they do not have to navigate this journey alone. At every stage of life, there will be support plans in place, and the Government will put measures to walk the journey together with them, to be able to plan for the future, pursue their aspirations and live well in our community.
7. To attain our vision, there are three important shifts we would like to highlight.
8. First, we want to move beyond reacting to life’s transitions as they arise, towards more proactively helping persons with disabilities plan for life’s key stages (with greater confidence).
9. Second, we want to move away from (simply) helping persons with disabilities find a job, towards enabling them to hold on to meaningful and sustained employment, with opportunities to grow new skills and pursue their ambitions and aspirations.
10. Third, we want to move beyond centre-based support towards (building) a community that is able to support, allow them to participate fully and live well within our community.
11. (Taken) together, these shifts reflect the need to provide greater assurance and support throughout life. My colleagues and I will elaborate on these recommendations today.
Planning Ahead for the Future
12. Let me begin with the first shift: allowing our persons with disabilities and their families the confidence to plan ahead.
13. One key concern we heard repeatedly from families was this "post-18 cliff". They asked the question: “When my child leaves SPED school at age 18, what is the next step?” They often face uncertainty about finding employment or securing a place in an adult disability service. After 18 years, this can be the first and most major milestone of significant uncertainty.
14. But beyond that, there are also many transition points in life. (Families worry) about changing jobs, retirement, changes in caregiving arrangements. (They ask) “what if the family member taking care of them is no longer able to do so.” “What will the caregiving arrangement then be”. These are major worries.
15. Many family members shared (that) these concerns can be overwhelming. Some have shared that they are already overwhelmed by day-to-day arrangements (and do not) have the capacity to think long term. Others rely on chat groups, speaking with families in similar situations and exchanging best practices. But they often worry about what they may not know. They are worried whether they have missed something, (and whether by they need a particular form of support, they may have already missed the window to do so. These are real concerns.
16. Today, within our SPED schools we already have the Individual Transition Planning arrangement where schools work with students to talk about their immediate steps after graduation.
17. Across our social service agencies, there are also have good practices with (agencies working with) persons with disabilities to discuss their next steps and plan for the future. But these arrangements are not yet systemic. We want to build on these efforts by working closely with our social service agency partners to systematise them through e a Future Care Planning system.
18. This allows for care planners to (walk with persons with disabilities throughout) their journey - from school to adulthood, (and at) key transitions in life, (covering) key domains such healthcare, housing, finances, and retirement. Care planners can initiate the conversations at the right point in time so that person with disabilities have (greater) assurance and are not (being) overwhelmed by information. Future Care Planning is about having someone walk this journey with them, hand-in-hand, through a whole-life approach, and systematise this.
19. Another concern we heard repeatedly from families was affordability. Over the past two weeks, we have already made announcements on that front, (including) putting in fee caps and enhancing subsidy support. I hope that with the conversations on future care planning as well as enhancing affordability, we can give our families a lot more assurance that their future needs are being looked into and (help them) make more informed decisions.
Finding and Growing in Employment
20. When persons with disabilities graduate from school, they should be equipped with certain life skills (and) soft skills needed to transition them smoothly into employment. We want to ensure that what they have learnt in SPED schools strengthen the pathways (available to them as they) consider employment.
21. We also want to work with employers to strengthen (their ability to) support them to hire, train and support their employees with disabilities, (and) create opportunities and careers for them in the firm.
22. SPS Syed Harun will speak more on how we are working within the SPED school structure to achieve better employment outcomes, while SPS Shawn Huang will speak about how we are working with employers.
Living Well in the Community
23. Employment is but one part of living well. Regardless of support needs, persons with disabilities (should be able) to make friends, engage with the community and build their social circles.
24. Our recommendations therefore also focus on strengthening independence, social connections and access to responsive healthcare.
25. MOS Rahayu Mahzam will speak more about how we are making our healthcare systems more responsive and accessible, while SPS Eric Chua will elaborate on how we are strengthening our social connections and enabling persons with disabilities to live well in our community.
Conclusion
26. Ultimately, all our recommendations are about giving persons with disabilities and their families assurance through life.
27. Taken together, they reflect the three key shifts I spoke about earlier – from reacting to transitions to proactively planning for life; moving from just finding a job towards sustaining employment, building careers, and growing new skills; and moving from centre-based support towards meaningful living in our communities, with wraparound support.
28. At the end of the day, we want to build a community and society where our persons with disabilities feel a strong sense of belonging.
29. As the Government strengthens our support for persons with disabilities and their families, we hope Singaporeans from all walks of life will journey together with us and welcome persons with disabilities warmly into our communities, our workplaces, and our hearts. Now, let me say a few words in Mandarin.
大家下午好。
人生不同阶段的需要
1. 工作小组一开始的宗旨，就是让残障人士和他们的家庭有更多的保障。我们首先做的，就是聆听残障人士和他们家人的心声、生活所需，以及对未来的期盼和担忧。
2. 在交流过程中，我们听到了许多家庭在人生不同阶段所面对的疑问。例如，毕业后有哪些机遇？能否找到一份心仪和有意义的工作？是否能够融入社区和社会？这些都是令家庭担忧的问题。
3. 这些交流也让工作小组明白，“保障”对他们来说到底意味着什么。我们的愿景，是希望年轻的离校残障人士能够有信心踏入职场，找到第一份工作，开始新的生活。第二，我们也希望有意就业的残障人士所找到的工作，拥有具包容性的工作环境，有能够扶持他们的同事一起工作。第三，我们希望家庭能够安心地规划未来，知道残障人士在人生不同阶段都能获得政府的支持和照顾。第四，我们也希望能够建立一个充满包容心的社会，让残障人士能够积极参与社区生活。
4. 归根结底，我们希望残障人士知道，在人生的每一段道路上，他们绝对不用独自面对困难。无论是规划未来、追求理想，还是参与社区生活，他们都能够获得政府的支持。
5. 为了实现这个愿景，工作小组提出了三大建议。
6. 第一，不只帮助家庭应对眼前的需要，而是更积极地帮助他们有信心规划未来的需求。
7. 第二，不只帮助残障人士找一份工作，而是让他们有机会在职场上发挥所长。
8. 第三，不只是让他们获得所需的照护服务，而是让他们能够积极地参与社区生活，在社会中找到归属感。
9. 这些建议共同的目标，就是让残障人士和他们的家人在每一段路上，都感受到有我们的扶持，多一份保障、多一份安心。今天，我和我的同事们也会进一步介绍这些建议。
规划未来，安心前行
10. 首先，让我谈谈如何帮助残障人士和他们的家人，更安心地规划未来。
11. 在与家庭交流时，我们经常听到一个共同的担忧，那就是孩子在18岁离开特需学校后，下一步会是什么样的？是找到工作吗？还是使用成人残障服务？是否有名额？这些都是让他们担忧的问题。
12. 其实除此之外，家庭也分享了很多其他担忧。例如转换工作、看护需求改变时，该如何面对这些问题？
13. 我们听到了这些家长的担忧。所以在接下来的日子，工作小组的建议，是推出 “未来照护规划”支援服务，让更多Care Planner跟残障人士一起走这一段路。在合适的时候，告诉他们应该先规划人生中的哪些主要课题。
就业与职业发展
14. 我们也希望完成学业后的残障人士，在求学过程中培养的能力，包括就业相关技能、自立能力和自信心，能够帮助他们顺利投入职场。
15. 对于有意就业的残障人士，我们的目标是帮助他们找到一份有意义的工作，并在职场上不断学习。
16. 我们也希望加强对雇主的支持，让他们能够聘用、留任和培育残障员工。为残障人士创造更多发展空间，让他们能够稳定就业。
参与社区，融入社会
17. 就业只是充实生活的一部分。除此之外，我们也希望给予残障人士更多机会结交朋友、参与社区活动，并与社区保持联系。
18. 因此，我们也建议着重帮助残障人士提升自立能力、建立人际关系，并和社区保持联系。我们也会让医疗服务更加便利，更贴近他们的需求。
总结
19. 工作小组提出的各项建议，最终是为了让残障人士和他们的家人在人生的每一段路上，都能有足够的保障和安心。
20. 总的来说，这些建议希望做到三件事：第一，帮助家庭未雨绸缪，更从容地面对未来；第二，不只帮助残障人士找到工作，而是支持他们在职场上稳健发展；第三，不只提供服务，而是让他们更积极地参与社区生活，和社区保持联系，让他们找到一份归属感。
21. 在政府持续加强对残障人士和他们的家庭支持的同时，我们也希望社会各界与我们携手同行，在社区、职场和日常生活中，给予残障人士更多接纳、支持和关怀。
22. 谢谢。