SINGAPORE – As part of a refreshed social compact, Singapore will have to do things differently, including in the area of disability and inclusion.

This involves three “beyonds”: going beyond care and support to empowerment, going beyond today’s partnerships and bringing in new partners, and going beyond acceptance to inclusion, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Friday at a charity dinner held at Marina Bay Sands to mark SG Enable’s 10th anniversary.

SG Enable is the focal agency for disability in Singapore, supporting persons with disabilities and their caregivers, as well as partners seeking to do so.

Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua were also present at the event, where nearly 60 organisations were recognised with the Enabling Mark, a national accreditation for disability-inclusive hiring.

The number of ageing people with disabilities and caregivers will go up as Singapore’s population ages. As their needs and ability to care evolve, programmes must be redesigned to provide a continuum of care, said Mr Heng.

Meanwhile, technological advances, such as better assistive technology and redesigned jobs, can enable people with disabilities to take on good jobs that tap their abilities, he said.

To empower them, the Government has stepped up the provision of affordable early intervention, services and special education schools.

Mr Heng added that the Government is in the midst of expanding options for those above 18 years old. They include employment support and community programmes. “This gives us the opportunity to reorganise the way we deliver services to persons with disabilities and their families,” he said.

The first Enabling Services Hub by SG Enable and charitable organisation SPD will open at the Tampines West Community Club later this year, extending centre-based adult disability care services to community-based ones.

The hub will provide greater choice and convenience for people with disabilities. More importantly, it encourages neighbours, volunteers and community partners to support persons with disabilities, said Mr Heng.

“We can do more to empower persons with disabilities who are work-capable to take on a diverse range of jobs,” he added.

While inclusive hiring is already taking place in sectors such as hospitality and food and beverage (F&B), he said the Government will also partner new sectors such as the digital and care sectors to create higher-value job opportunities.

He encouraged more employers, especially those in growth sectors, to partner the Government in building more inclusive workplaces, with help from grants such as the Enabling Employment Credit.

He also raised a common worry for caregivers: planning for the future care needs of loved ones with disabilities.

To address this, SG Enable is working with the Special Needs Trust Company, which provides affordable trust services for persons with disabilities, social service agencies and care planning experts.

Social support aside, the greatest impact on people with disabilities and their families is their day-to-day interactions, said DPM Heng.

“Policies and services can remove visible obstacles. But to achieve a truly inclusive society, we must address the invisible barriers that prevent their full participation in everyday life.

“Persons with disabilities are not persons in need of charity. They are individuals with talents and abilities, seeking fulfilling and dignified lives, just like you and me.”

On Friday, the National Library Board (NLB) became the first public service organisation to be accredited with the highest accolade, the Enabling Mark (Platinum).

This recognises NLB’s efforts under its Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025, which includes providing meaningful employment to persons with disabilities.

Front-line staff, and staff who work with colleagues with disabilities, receive basic awareness training on how to better understand and support them. Over 55 staff have been trained, and NLB plans to train up to 150 more employees over the next two years.

NLB ensures that its premises are wheelchair-friendly and accessible for patrons and staff with physical disabilities. It also offers books and calm pods for the disability community.

The statutory board partners St Andrew’s Autism School to provide volunteering opportunities for its students. The Autism Resource Centre also partnered NLB to set up a digital services centre at the Employability and Employment Centre at the Enabling Village.

About 30 people with disabilities from the centre have taken up jobs as digital service assistants at the Enabling Village, and as library service assistants at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library in the National Library Building.