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Queenstown, Marine Parade to pilot more inclusive spaces for people with disabilities

A second initiative at Paya Lebar Quarter will focus on creating employment opportunities for PWDs. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Straits TimesElisha Tushara2026-10-04 18:03查看原文 ↗

Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming (centre, on stage), leads the task force which announced on Oct 4 efforts to help people with disabilities live in the community.

ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Published Oct 04, 2026, 06:03 PM

Updated Oct 04, 2026, 06:03 PM

Queenstown and Marine Parade will pilot initiatives from 2027 to make community spaces more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities, involving grassroots groups and public education.

SG Enable and partners will create employment opportunities for people with disabilities at Paya Lebar Quarter, with job coaching and supportive workplace measures.

More Day Activity Centres will become Enabling Skills Centres to help people with disabilities build independence and employability, while expanding Enabling Services Hubs and caregiver support across Singapore.

SINGAPORE – Queenstown and Marine Parade will be the first towns to test initiatives aimed at making community spaces more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities (PWDs).

Led by SG Enable, the pilot starting in 2027 will work with grassroots organisations to make spaces such as parks and hawker centres more disability-friendly, while public education efforts will encourage residents to interact more confidently and respectfully with PWDs.

The two towns are the constituencies of Goh Pei Ming and Eric Chua, who are part of an inter-agency task force set up in December 2025 to strengthen support for PWDs and their families.

Goh, who is Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development, leads the task force, which on Oct 4 announced efforts to help PWDs live in the community.

Chua, who is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development, said his focus for Queenstown is improving accessibility and working on “finer details” such as ensuring pathways are wide enough to accommodate two wheelchairs.

A second initiative at Paya Lebar Quarter – a mixed-use commercial, retail and residential hub – will focus on creating employment opportunities for PWDs. SG Enable will work with mall operator Lendlease and its tenants to identify suitable jobs, with on-site job coaches.

Speaking at a press conference at the Enabling Village in Bukit Merah , Chua said the new initiatives aim to make inclusion a way of life in these neighborhoods, and not just through one-off activities.

“Inclusion should not mean creating separate spaces for persons with disabilities,” he said.

PWDs and their caregivers said living well was not just about having access to services, but feeling accepted and understood in everyday spaces, the task force noted in its report.

Some felt that interactions are difficult because of a lack of public understanding, while others worried about being judged because of their disabilities.

“The more opportunities we have to meet, work alongside, and get to know one another, the more naturally inclusion can become part of everyday life,” Chua said.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua speaking at a press conference at the Enabling Village on Oct 2. With him are (from left) Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & Ministry of Health Rahayu Mahzam, Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi and Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Manpower Shawn Huang. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Another focus is making major attractions more accessible. SG Enable will partner Sentosa Development Corporation to make the island a more inclusive leisure and tourism destination.

This could include workplace support, and visitor experiences designed with PWDs and their families.

Accessibility and universal design could also be integrated into future developments under the Greater Sentosa Master Plan.

Currently, more than 60 PWDs are employed across a range of roles on Sentosa, which is also home to Singapore’s first accessible beach track.

More support for independent living

The task force received feedback that some PWDs needed a longer pathway after leaving special education schools to develop skills for independent living and maintain a good quality of life.

Some who did not need full-time services at the various disability centres also said they wanted to remain active and connected to their communities.

To address this, more Day Activity Centres and Sheltered Workshops will progressively be converted into Enabling Skills Centres.

These centres will integrate programmes from both facilities into a single service, and offer a structured curriculum under the Enabling Skills for Life Programme.

The programme, piloted at some centres in 2025, takes a different approach to post-school support for PWDs. Beyond care and engagement, it helps them build everyday skills, independence and employability.

The converted centres will also support caregivers to reinforce the learning at home.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Social and Family Development said it currently funds 33 Day Activity Centres and eight Sheltered Workshops, which offer 3,600 places. About 3,300 PWDs use these facilities, with about 600 individuals on waitlists since December 2025.

The network of Enabling Services Hubs, which brings social services, employment and other activities closer to those with disabilities, will also be expanded to 12 locations by 2028.

The first three hubs are in Tampines, Jurong West and Punggol, with a fourth planned in Marine Parade. Eight more hubs will be set up across Singapore.

From 2027, caregivers will also have access to information and help with navigating services including respite care, through eight sites including the three existing Enabling Services Hubs.

Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore’s education landscape.

社会及家庭发展部高级政务部长吴佩明（台上中间）领导的特别工作组于 10 月 4 日宣布了帮助残疾人融入社区的各项举措。

《海峡时报》摄影：JASON QUAH

发布于 2026 年 10 月 4 日下午 6:03

更新于2026年10月4日下午6:03

皇后镇和滨海大道将从 2027 年开始试点一系列举措，旨在让社区空间对残疾人士更加无障碍和包容，这些举措将涉及基层团体和公众教育。

SG Enable及其合作伙伴将在巴耶利峇中心为残疾人士创造就业机会，并提供就业指导和支持性工作场所措施。

更多日间活动中心将转型为技能提升中心，帮助残疾人士建立独立生活能力和就业能力，同时在新加坡各地扩大辅助服务中心和护理人员支持。

新加坡——女皇镇和马林百列将成为首批试行旨在使社区空间对残疾人士更加无障碍和包容性的举措的城镇。

在 SG Enable 的领导下，这项从 2027 年开始的试点项目将与基层组织合作，使公园和小贩中心等场所更加方便残疾人士使用，同时开展公共教育活动，鼓励居民更加自信和尊重地与残疾人士互动。

这两个镇分别是吴佩明和蔡志强的选区，他们都是2025年12月成立的跨部门工作组的成员，该工作组旨在加强对残疾人及其家庭的支持。

吴作栋是社会及家庭发展部高级政务部长，他领导的特别工作组于 10 月 4 日宣布了帮助残疾人融入社区的各项举措。

担任社会及家庭发展部高级政务次长的蔡先生表示，他关注皇后镇的重点是改善无障碍设施，并致力于“更精细的细节”，例如确保道路足够宽，可以容纳两辆轮椅。

巴耶利峇中心（一个集商业、零售和住宅于一体的综合中心）的第二项举措将着重于为残障人士创造就业机会。SG Enable将与商场运营商Lendlease及其租户合作，寻找合适的工作岗位，并配备现场就业指导员。

蔡先生在红山赋能村举行的新闻发布会上表示，这些新举措旨在使包容成为这些社区的一种生活方式，而不仅仅是通过一次性的活动。

他说：“包容不应该意味着为残疾人创造单独的空间。”

工作组在其报告中指出，残疾人士及其照护者表示，生活幸福不仅仅是获得服务，而是在日常生活中感受到被接纳和理解。

有些人觉得由于公众缺乏理解，与人交流很困难；而另一些人则担心因为自己的残疾而受到评判。

蔡女士说：“我们越有机会见面、并肩工作、互相了解，包容就越能自然而然地成为日常生活的一部分。”

社会及家庭发展部高级政务次长蔡志强于10月2日在赋能村举行新闻发布会。与他一同出席的还有（从左至右）：数码发展及新闻部兼卫生部政务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆、社会及家庭发展部高级政务部长吴佩明、教育部兼国家发展部高级政务次长赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西以及财政部兼人力部高级政务次长黄晓明。海峡时报摄影：JASON QUAH

社会及家庭发展部高级政务次长蔡志强于10月2日在赋能村举行新闻发布会。与他一同出席的还有（从左至右）数码发展及新闻部兼卫生部政务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆、社会及家庭发展部高级政务部长吴佩明、教育部兼国家发展部高级政务次长赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西以及财政部兼人力部高级政务次长黄晓明。

另一重点是提升主要景点的可达性。SG Enable将与圣淘沙发展局合作，使圣淘沙岛成为更具包容性的休闲旅游目的地。

这可能包括工作场所支持，以及为残障人士及其家人设计的访客体验。

根据大圣淘沙总体规划，无障碍设施和通用设计也可以融入未来的发展项目中。

目前，圣淘沙岛上有 60 多名残疾人士在各种岗位上工作，这里也是新加坡第一条无障碍海滩步道的所在地。

为独立生活提供更多支持

工作组收到反馈，一些残疾人士离开特殊教育学校后需要更长的途径来培养独立生活技能并保持良好的生活质量。

一些不需要在各个残疾人中心接受全日制服务的人也表示，他们希望保持活跃并与社区保持联系。

为了解决这个问题，更多的日间活动中心和庇护工场将逐步改建为技能提升中心。

这些中心将整合两个机构的课程，形成单一的服务体系，并在“生活技能培养计划”下提供结构化的课程。

该项目于2025年在部分中心试点，它为残障人士的毕业后支持采取了不同的方法。除了提供照护和互动之外，它还帮助他们培养日常技能、独立生活能力和就业能力。

改建后的中心还将为照护者提供支持，以巩固孩子在家中的学习成果。