Yearly Updates
Strategic Theme I: Strengthen Support For Lifelong Learning In A Fast-Changing Economy
ECDA increased the number of providers under the Enhanced Pilot for Private Intervention Providers, or PPIP, programme from 10 to 16. ECDA will further expand the number of places under the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) through the construction of two new EI centres.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MOE), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), National University Hospital (NUH) as well as partners from the caregiver support, early childhood and early intervention communities have jointly developed and launched a guide in June 2022 for parents and caregivers of young children with developmental needs (up to six years old).
The Parents’ Guide builds on existing efforts to enhance parents’ and caregivers’ access to information on disability services, caregiver training and support, and was developed following a recommendation from the Inclusive Preschool Workgroup (IPWG) It provides information on key milestones along their journey of caring for children with developmental needs, from identification of such needs to accessing early intervention services, as well as enrolment in primary or special education (SPED) schools. It is designed with parents’ perspective in mind and seeks to empower them in making informed decisions.
St. Andrew’s Mission School began operations at Bukit Batok in January 2022. It caters to students with moderate SEN who have ASD and can access the National Curriculum.
The new Vocational Education Teaching and Learning Syllabus (VE TLS) for SPED schools was launched on 27 July 2022, to better prepare SPED students for the World of Work and in making valued work contributions to society. The VE TLS adopts a broadened and more inclusive concept of work to recognize the diverse work pathways for SPED graduates, and also emphasizes the intentional teaching of soft skills in authentic settings. Through the VE TLS, all SPED students aged 13 to 18 (21) years old are given the opportunity to go through a continuum of Work Experience, guided collaboratively by SPED teachers, Job Coaches and Allied Professionals.
The Enabling Academy was launched by SG Enable in May 2022 to provide more training and learning opportunities for persons with disabilities, and those in their network of support, including employers, caregivers, sector professionals and training providers. Through strategic partnerships with corporates and training providers, the Enabling Academy has curated more than 300 accessible training courses for persons with disabilities in areas such as information and communications technology, accounting, early childhood development, human resources, logistics and cooking. To cater to trainees’ different learning preferences, training is delivered in multiple formats.
Strategic Theme III: Create Inclusive Physical and Social Environments That Are Inclusive to Persons With Disabilities
GovTech’s Accessibility Enabling Team (A11y Team) was established in 2022, to build and advance digital accessibility and inclusivity capabilities across the Government. The interdisciplinary team has expertise spanning across web development and testing, to UX design and research, for a holistic approach to digital inclusivity. The A11y Team provides consulting services, open-source tooling, and training resources to enable the Government’s digital product teams to identify, triage, and fix accessibility issues in their products. They also developed an automated testing tool that digital teams can independently use to assess the accessibility of their products. These initiatives are making good progress towards achieving our goal of making 100% of high-traffic government website accessible by 2030.
CARE Bus. Launched in November 2022, the CARE Bus is a collaboration with Go-Ahead Singapore and Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School aimed at informing, involving and inspiring other commuters to be more aware of the needs and challenges faced by commuters with special needs, and how to assist them during their public transport commute.
Caring Commuter Champion E-Learning Course. An online training course, co-developed by the Land Transport Authority and SG Enable was launched in January 2022 to provide an accessible avenue for those who wish to learn how to assist commuters with various mobility needs on public transport, and be certified as a Caring Commuter Champion. The e-learning course is modularised and allows participants to complete it at their own time and pace. For more information on the Caring Commuter Champion programme, please visit www.caringcommuters.gov.sg/champions .
Heart Zone. Launch of a new Heart Zone at the Thomson-East Coast Line Outram Park station in November 2022, which complements the existing Heart Zone at the North East Line Outram Park station. This new Heart Zone will serve commuters who are heading to the Singapore General Hospital Campus, by providing a space for commuters to lend assistance to one another during their commute.
Accessible Changing Rooms at Bus Interchanges. From November 2022, accessible changing rooms will be progressively installed at all new bus interchanges and Integrated Transport Hubs. Fitted with a motorised changing bed, the room will provide convenience for the elderly and commuters with physical disabilities for their commute on public transport.
Tactile and Braille Signs on Handrails of Staircases and Ramps. All new stations on the Thomson-East Coast Line are equipped with tactile and Braille signs on handrails of staircases and ramps, to enable commuters with visual impairment to navigate more independently.
In 2022 and 2023, the College of Family Physicians Singapore (CFPS) conducted annual Family Practice Skills Course (FSPCs) on topics related to the care of persons with intellectual disabilities (PwIDs), to better equip general practitioners (GPs) to address PwID patients’ healthcare needs within the community.
DIPS is a longitudinal study on PWD and their caregivers. Launched on 23 August 2022, it tracks 2,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and 2,000 paired caregivers between 2022 and 2030. DIPS supports PWD research on a broad range of topics through regular polling on important aspects of their lives, and is the source for various indicators under EMP2030. Since its launch, the study has successfully conducted five polls, on a variety of topics such as health outcomes, quality of life, employment, transport, assistive technology and service usage. Another three polls are scheduled to be completed by end of FY2023.