From Bird Paradise to Amara Hotel: How inclusive workplaces help improve operations, strengthen teamwork

At these Singapore organisations, employees with disabilities bring valuable skills and fresh perspectives, while thoughtful adjustments help teams work more smoothly and deliver better service

A quieter bakery setting and support from her buddy, senior sous chef Vasileios Dionysopoulos (left), helps Sarah-Jane Lishi Joseph, who has a mild intellectual disability, build her skills and take on more tasks at Mandai Wildlife Group’s central kitchen.

Published Nov 02, 2026, 04:00 AM

When Sarah-Jane Lishi Joseph joined Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) as a cook, her first assignment was to make penguin-shaped icing decorations in the central kitchen at Bird Paradise.

The bakery room was quieter than other parts of the central kitchen, giving Joseph, who has a mild intellectual disability, a more comfortable environment in which to settle into the job. Almost a year later, she has progressed to preparing apple crumble and working in different parts of the central kitchen.

Across workplaces in Singapore, persons with disabilities (PWDs) are not simply filling vacancies. Their contributions are strengthening teams, improving service and prompting employers to rethink processes in ways that can benefit the wider workforce.

At MWG, the approach has been more practical – match employees to suitable starting tasks, provide structured training and support, then give them room to take on more as their confidence and skills grow.

Over at Ah Meng Restaurant in the Singapore Zoo, service crew member Gabriel Sim, who also has a mild intellectual disability, started by wiping and sorting cutlery. As he grew more confident, he volunteered to help colleagues replenish supplies at the front counter.

Gabriel Sim (left), who also has a mild intellectual disability, works closely with his buddy, senior manager of food and beverage Indran Nair (right), at Ah Meng Restaurant in the Singapore Zoo, where a supportive culture helps build confidence and stronger teamwork. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA

Gabriel Sim (left), who also has a mild intellectual disability, works closely with his buddy, senior manager of food and beverage Indran Nair (right), at Ah Meng Restaurant in the Singapore Zoo, where a supportive culture helps build confidence and stronger teamwork.

To support employees like Joseph and Sim, MWG took a structured approach to hiring and onboarding. Staff from MWG attended training sessions supported by SG Enable, the national agency for disability. These sessions included topics such as disability awareness and customer inclusiveness.

Managers also worked with SG Enable and other partners to assess employees’ strengths, comfort levels, support needs and preferred ways of learning before matching them to suitable tasks.

Training for employees with disabilities was structured around step-by-step demonstrations, hands-on practice and support from colleagues assigned as buddies.

MWG found that these efforts benefited the wider team too.

Indran Nair, MWG’s senior manager of food and beverage and Sim’s buddy, saw how the experience of working alongside employees with disabilities has changed the team dynamics – in unexpected ways.

“Seeing our colleagues grow in confidence and take on new responsibilities has been incredibly rewarding. But what surprised me most was how much the rest of us have grown, too,” he says.

“We’ve become more patient, understanding and willing to support one another, and that has made us a stronger, more united team.”

Making inclusive hiring easier

SG Enable and its partners work with companies at different stages of their inclusive employment journey – from recruitment outreach and job redesign to workplace integration, job coaching, assistive technology assessments and grant support.

In addition, SG Enable stewards the Enabling Mark, a national-level accreditation framework that benchmarks and recognises organisations for good practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment in Singapore.

Launched in 2020, the Enabling Mark has three tiers that reflect an organisation’s maturity in disability-inclusive employment:

Silver recognises emerging practices;

Gold reflects more embedded practices;

Platinum recognises leading practices with sustained, organisation-wide impact.

Ready to take the next step?

Register for the Enabling Mark Business Conference on Nov 10, 2026 , and discover practical ways to put inclusive employment into action.

Hear from business leaders and employers through talks and breakout sessions as they share strategies for hiring and supporting persons with disabilities, building more inclusive workplaces and embedding inclusion into long-term workforce strategies.

Better customer service, from design to delivery

At CPF Board, officers with disabilities work across areas including information technology, customer service and corporate functions.

Their first-hand perspectives also help inform how public services are designed.

For instance, when CPF Board was preparing for changes to the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme to be extended to younger Singaporeans with disabilities, it drew on insights from officers with disabilities and caregivers through service-journey testing.

At CPF Board, disability inclusion spans hiring, tailored onboarding and workplace support. Charles Soh (right), who is hard of hearing, is pictured with his colleagues from the home protection and education department. PHOTO: CPF BOARD

At CPF Board, disability inclusion spans hiring, tailored onboarding and workplace support. Charles Soh (right), who is hard of hearing, is pictured with his colleagues from the home protection and education department.

Their feedback helped CPF Board identify potential difficulties and improve how information, processes and support could be made more accessible and inclusive before the changes were rolled out.

For Tey Chee Keong, group director, human capital management at CPF Board, such contributions demonstrate how inclusive employment can benefit both employees and the public.

“It shows that inclusion is not only about creating employment opportunities,” says Tey. “The organisation gains from our officers’ skills and diverse perspectives, and our members benefit from better-designed services. Better inclusion makes us a better employer – and a better service organisation.”

In the hospitality sector, employees with disabilities are similarly showing how their individual strengths can make a difference to the customer experience.

Muhammad Idil Sudin, who has an intellectual disability, has been part of the bell and concierge team at Amara Singapore for more than two years.

When he was recruited, Amara worked with the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) to break down the requirements of the role and identify responsibilities suited to his strengths.

Idil has a strong memory for faces and names, interacts warmly with guests and is reliable with routine tasks.

Initially, his duties focused on greeting guests, helping with luggage and coordinating taxis, with more complex requests referred to senior colleagues. An experienced concierge was assigned as his buddy during his first six months.

But Idil has gone beyond his assigned duties.

His supervisor Keith Kang recalls an occasion when a woman fell at the hotel. Idil immediately went to her aid, checked whether she could walk and offered her a wheelchair.

“What impressed me was that he acted on his own initiative, without waiting to be told what to do. To me, that moment showed his strength in understanding how a guest may be feeling and responding in a way that makes the guest feel supported,” says Kang.

Idil’s attentiveness has not gone unnoticed by guests, who regularly compliment him by name in their feedback.

He has also maintained a 100 per cent attendance record, demonstrating the reliability that has made him a valued member of the hotel’s team.

Ivy Lau, Amara’s regional director of human resources, says the hotel has benefited from the contributions of employees like Idil.

She adds: “What we didn’t anticipate was how much PWD colleagues would elevate the team as a whole. Their exceptional attention to detail, consistency and empathy with guests set a new standard, and turnover in key operational roles dropped as a result.”

At Amara Singapore, Muhammad Idil Sudin’s attentiveness and reliability helps strengthen guest service, earning him regular compliments from hotel guests. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA

At Amara Singapore, Muhammad Idil Sudin’s attentiveness and reliability helps strengthen guest service, earning him regular compliments from hotel guests.

Streamlined workflows, clearer communication

Inclusive employment has also led Amara Singapore to rethink some of its processes behind the scenes.

One example is the hotel’s luggage storage system, where bags were organised in different ways depending on timing, tags, quantity and available space. The process could be confusing, particularly for new employees.

Rather than simply expecting Idil to adapt to the system, the team involved him in developing a clearer workflow.

“This made a difference because Idil was not just being instructed – he was part of the solution,” says Kang.

The resulting process was clearer and easier for everyone, and the simplified workflow is now used to help new concierge employees learn their responsibilities. It has also helped Idil perform his job more confidently and independently, even when Kang is not around.

Working with colleagues with disabilities has also changed Kang’s approach to managing people.

He says: “It has taught me to better understand each person’s strengths and areas for improvement, rather than expecting everyone to learn or perform in the same way immediately.”

CPF Board has seen a similar ripple effect. For Charles Soh, who is hard of hearing, his supervisor and colleagues made practical adjustments, such as providing clearer written instructions.

His department director, Lyndis Kang, says these practices have since improved internal documentation and helped the wider team keep abreast of procedural and policy changes.

Senior director of the employment and lifelong learning group at SG Enable Edward Chew says that inclusive hiring is not just about creating opportunities for persons with disabilities.

“As these employers have shown, it also brings value to businesses through stronger teams, better ways of working and improved customer experiences,” he adds. “When employers recognise individual strengths and provide the right support, everyone stands to benefit.”

Find out how other employers are putting inclusive hiring into practice at the Enabling Mark Business Conference on Nov 10. Register here .

在这些新加坡机构中，残障员工带来了宝贵的技能和全新的视角，而周到的调整则帮助团队更顺畅地协作，并提供更优质的服务。

安静的烘焙环境以及好友、高级副主厨 Vasileios Dionysopoulos（左）的支持，帮助患有轻度智力障碍的 Sarah-Jane Lishi Joseph 提升技能，并在 Mandai Wildlife Group 的中央厨房承担更多任务。

发布于 2026 年 11 月 2 日 上午 4:00

Sarah-Jane Lishi Joseph 加入 Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) 担任厨师时，她的第一个任务是在 Bird Paradise 的中央厨房制作企鹅形状的糖霜装饰品。

烘焙间比中央厨房的其他区域安静得多，这为患有轻度智力障碍的约瑟夫提供了一个更舒适的工作环境。将近一年后，她已经能够制作苹果酥，并在中央厨房的不同区域工作。

在新加坡的各个工作场所，残障人士不仅仅是填补职位空缺。他们的贡献正在增强团队实力、提升服务质量，并促使雇主重新思考流程，从而使更广泛的员工群体受益。

MWG 的做法更加务实——为员工匹配合适的起始任务，提供结构化的培训和支持，然后随着员工信心和技能的增长，给他们更多承担责任的空间。

在新加坡动物园的阿明餐厅，服务员加布里埃尔·沈（Gabriel Sim）也患有轻度智力障碍，他最初从擦拭和整理餐具做起。随着自信心的增强，他主动提出帮助同事在前台补充物资。

患有轻度智力障碍的加布里埃尔·西姆（左）与他的好友、餐饮部高级经理因德兰·奈尔（右）在新加坡动物园的阿明餐厅密切合作。餐厅里互助友好的氛围有助于建立自信，增强团队合作精神。图片：新加坡报业控股

患有轻度智力障碍的 Gabriel Sim（左）与他的好友、餐饮高级经理 Indran Nair（右）在新加坡动物园的 Ah Meng 餐厅密切合作，餐厅里互助的氛围有助于建立自信和更强大的团队合作精神。

为了支持像Joseph和Sim这样的员工，MWG采取了结构化的招聘和入职流程。MWG的员工参加了由国家残疾人服务机构SG Enable支持的培训课程。这些课程涵盖了残疾意识和客户包容性等主题。

管理人员还与 SG Enable 和其他合作伙伴合作，评估员工的优势、舒适度、支持需求和偏好的学习方式，然后将他们与合适的任务进行匹配。

针对残疾员工的培训以循序渐进的演示、实践操作和由指定为伙伴的同事提供的支持为核心。

MWG发现这些努力也使整个团队受益。

MWG 的高级餐饮经理兼 Sim 的好友 Indran Nair 亲眼目睹了与残疾员工一起工作的经历如何以意想不到的方式改变了团队的动态。

“看到同事们信心倍增，承担起新的责任，我感到无比欣慰。但最令我惊讶的是，我们其他人也成长了这么多，”他说。

“我们变得更加耐心、更加理解彼此，也更愿意互相支持，这使我们成为一个更强大、更团结的团队。”

让包容性招聘更容易

SG Enable 及其合作伙伴与处于包容性就业之旅不同阶段的公司合作——从招聘推广和工作重新设计到工作场所融合、就业指导、辅助技术评估和资助支持。

此外，SG Enable 还负责管理“赋能标志”（Enabling Mark），这是一个国家级认证框架，旨在对新加坡在残疾人包容性就业方面表现良好且取得良好成果的组织进行基准测试和认可。

“赋能标志”于 2020 年推出，分为三个等级，反映了组织在包容残疾人就业方面的成熟度：

Silver 认可新兴做法；

黄金反映了更为根深蒂固的习俗；

白金奖旨在表彰具有持续、全组织影响的领先实践。

准备好迈出下一步了吗？

注册参加 2026 年 11 月 10 日举行的 Enabling Mark 商业会议，探索将包容性就业付诸实践的切实方法。

通过演讲和分组讨论，聆听企业领导人和雇主分享他们雇用和支持残疾人士、建立更具包容性的工作场所以及将包容性融入长期劳动力战略的策略。

从设计到交付，提供更优质的客户服务

在中央公积金局，残疾员工在信息技术、客户服务和公司职能等领域工作。

他们的第一手经验也有助于指导公共服务的设计。

例如，当中央公积金局准备将配对退休储蓄计划扩展到年轻的残疾新加坡人时，它通过服务历程测试，借鉴了残疾官员和护理人员的见解。

在中央公积金局，残障人士包容性体现在招聘、个性化入职培训和工作场所支持等各个方面。照片中，听力障碍人士查尔斯·苏（右）与居家保护和教育部门的同事们合影。（图片：中央公积金局）

在中央公积金局，残障人士包容性体现在招聘、个性化入职培训和工作场所支持等各个方面。图中，听力障碍人士查尔斯·苏（右）与居家保护及教育部门的同事们合影。

他们的反馈帮助中央公积金局识别潜在的困难，并在变革实施之前改进信息、流程和支持的方式，使其更易于获取和更具包容性。

中央公积金局人力资本管理集团总监郑志强认为，这些贡献表明包容性就业如何能够使雇员和公众都受益。

Tey表示：“这表明包容性不仅仅是创造就业机会。我们的员工的技能和多元视角能够为组织带来益处，而我们的会员也能从更完善的服务中受益。更好的包容性使我们成为更好的雇主，也使我们成为更好的服务机构。”

在酒店服务业，残疾员工也同样展现了他们的个人优势如何能为顾客体验带来改变。

患有智力障碍的穆罕默德·伊迪尔·苏丁 (Muhammad Idil Sudin) 已在新加坡安曼乐酒店担任行李员和礼宾员两年多了。

阿马拉被录用后，与新加坡智障人士协会 (MINDS) 合作，详细了解了该职位的要求，并确定了适合他优势的职责。

伊迪尔对人脸和名字的记忆力很强，与客人互动热情，并且能够可靠地完成日常工作。

起初，他的职责主要是迎接客人、协助搬运行李和安排出租车，更复杂的需求则交由资深同事处理。在他入职的头六个月里，公司为他安排了一位经验丰富的礼宾员作为助手。

但伊迪尔已经超越了他被分配的职责。

他的主管基思·康回忆起有一次，一位女士在酒店摔倒了。伊迪尔立即上前帮忙，检查她是否还能行走，并给她提供了一辆轮椅。

康说：“让我印象深刻的是，他主动采取行动，没有等别人吩咐。在我看来，那一刻展现了他理解客人感受并给予支持的能力。”

伊迪尔的细心周到并没有逃过客人的眼睛，他们经常在反馈中点名称赞他。

他还保持着100%的出勤率，展现了极高的可靠性，这使他成为酒店团队中不可或缺的一员。

阿玛拉酒店区域人力资源总监 Ivy Lau 表示，酒店受益于像 Idil 这样的员工的贡献。

她补充道：“我们没有预料到的是，残障人士同事们对整个团队的提升幅度如此之大。他们对细节的关注、始终如一的工作态度以及对客人的同理心树立了新的标杆，关键运营岗位的员工流动率也因此下降。”

在新加坡安曼拉酒店，穆罕默德·伊迪尔·苏丁的细致周到和可靠性提升了宾客服务水平，赢得了酒店客人的一致好评。图片：新加坡报业控股

在新加坡安曼拉酒店，穆罕默德·伊迪尔·苏丁的细致周到和可靠性有助于加强宾客服务，并因此经常受到酒店客人的赞扬。

简化的工作流程，更清晰的沟通

包容性就业也促使新加坡安玛拉公司重新思考其幕后的一些流程。

例如，酒店的行李寄存系统就采用了不同的方式，根据时间、标签、数量和可用空间等因素对行李进行分类。这种方式可能会让人感到困惑，尤其是对于新员工而言。

团队并没有简单地期望伊迪尔适应系统，而是让他参与制定更清晰的工作流程。

康说：“这带来了改变，因为伊迪尔不仅仅是被指导——他也是解决方案的一部分。”

最终的流程更加清晰便捷，对所有人来说都更加轻松。简化后的工作流程现在也用于帮助新入职的礼宾员工熟悉他们的职责。即使康不在场，伊迪尔也能更加自信、独立地完成工作。

与残疾同事共事也改变了康的人员管理方式。

他说：“这让我学会了更好地了解每个人的优势和需要改进的地方，而不是期望每个人都能立即以相同的方式学习或表现。”

中央公积金局也观察到了类似的连锁反应。对于听力障碍的查尔斯·苏来说，他的主管和同事做出了切实可行的调整，例如提供更清晰的书面指示。

他的部门主管林迪斯·康表示，这些做法此后改进了内部文档，并帮助更广泛的团队及时了解程序和政策的变化。

SG Enable 就业和终身学习小组高级主管 Edward Chew 表示，包容性招聘不仅仅是为残疾人创造机会。

“正如这些雇主所展示的那样，它还能通过更强大的团队、更高效的工作方式和更优质的客户体验为企业创造价值，”他补充道。“当雇主认可员工的个人优势并提供恰当的支持时，每个人都能从中受益。”

了解其他雇主如何在11月10日举行的“赋能标志商业大会”上实践包容性招聘。点击此处注册。