Ms Theresa Goh, DPA President
DPA Board Members
Partners, volunteers, donors
Distinguished guests
1 A very good evening and let me start by wishing the Disabled People’s Association (DPA) a very happy 40th birthday – a big round of applause. This is a very significant milestone – four decades of unwavering commitment to advocacy for persons with disabilities, by persons with disabilities.
2 Now, as I reflected on tonight’s theme, that is, “A Seat at the Table”, two ideas stand out – one, speaking and two, listening. Having a seat at the table is an important first step, but true inclusion requires voices to be heard, and at the same time, genuine listening. Let me speak about this in two parts – first, how we speak and second, how we listen.
Speaking Constructively
3 Over the years, DPA has been a strong and steady voice for persons with disabilities. From the “Accessible City Network” (ACN) initiative, contributions to the Workplace Fairness Act, to our engagements on the Enabling Masterplan 2030 – you have consistently surfaced real issues that are grounded in real-life experiences.
4 Your public education and awareness efforts - through the Inclusion Ambassadors (IA) programme and Access Guides programme - have opened up more spaces across Singapore, where persons with and without disabilities can participate with fewer barriers.
5 Now, these initiatives do more than just improve accessibility. They also create meaningful channels for feedback and sustain change.
6 Across transport and employment, education and public awareness, you work alongside the community, and with the Government to actively build a more caring and inclusive Singapore and we truly value this partnership.
Listening Deeply
7 But DPA has only been able to speak so effectively because you listen.
8 For the past 40 years, listening – to the worries, hopes, and dreams of persons with disabilities – has been the heart of your work. You have helped us to better understand what works, what does not, and what we need to do better in. There are many areas we could do better in, even though we have come some way from years ago.
9 Civil society organisations like DPA play a vital role in surfacing voices that might otherwise go unheard, and in grounding policy decisions and discussions in real-life experiences.
Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities
10 The Government, too, has taken a leaf from this approach.
11 Last year, we formed the inter-agency Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities. I am privileged to be part of this effort. The Taskforce will complement the Enabling Masterplan 2030 to take a life-course and person and family-centric approach across areas like employment, community living as well as affordability, to provide greater assurance to persons with disabilities and their families.
12 And allow me to say this, even though it’s off-script – we really want to address the post-18 cliff effect. We know there is a cliff; it is not a proverbial one. We know that a big question hangs over the heads of many of our caregivers, many of whom are aging, and many of whom are already aged. Singapore has become a super-aged society in 2026 this year and the one question that caregivers ask is, what happens (to my child) when I pass away?
13 That is a very valid and powerful question that we’re trying to address right now. So, the post-18 cliff - we’re working on employment, we’re working on community living options, we’re working on future care planning. We are working on how we can take a life-course approach so that we can approach each family with persons with disabilities to support them to the best of our abilities.
14 And over the past months, my colleagues and I have been engaging widely – with persons with disabilities, their family members and organisations across different sectors. These conversations have been candid, honest and valuable at the same time. They remind us that good policy must start with listening, and hopefully, result in concrete, positive, tangible change for the better.
15 I’ve also been involved in other scopes of work. Together with my (co-chair) Peggy Yee, it is a huge privilege of mine to be co-chairing the Inclusive Justice Taskforce with her to make sure that the justice system – both at the investigative phase, the court phase, as well as even the institutional phase can be more accessible for both persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions. That stream of work is ongoing, and we hope to be able to round back to the community about what it is that we are recommending the Government do in the years to come.
Closing
16 To be sure, when we speak constructively and listen deeply, authentic conversations naturally emerge. And with true and open conversations, we expand our understanding, deepen our empathy, and at the same time, discover ways to make meaningful progress together.
17 As I conclude for the evening, I am reminded that inclusion is not just about making space at the table. It is actually about making sure every voice at the table is heard, and that lives are transformed, even after we leave the table.
18 So let us all continue working together to build a Singapore where every person -- regardless of ability -- can pursue their aspirations and lead meaningful lives. Because together, we go further.
19 Once again, congratulations to DPA on your 40th anniversary and I wish everyone a wonderful evening ahead. Thank you.