The disabilities of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Singapore can be classified into 3

types - developmental, sensory and physical, according to the National Council of Social Service

(NCSS) (n.d.a). Latest population data on PWDs state that 16.7% of residents in Singapore were

PWDs in 2018, which translates to more than 600,000 people (Ministry of Social and Family

Development, 2018). Among them, PWDs with intellectual disabilities make up the biggest

group, with 36.7% (NCSS, 2017).

While various aspects of PWDs’ lives are affected due to their disabilities, it is evident

that employment is a challenge for many globally. In general, PWDs are twice less likely to be

employed. In fact, only 1 in 3 PWDs are employed on average (International Labour

Organisation, 2020). Indeed, this low employment rate can also be observed in Singapore’s

PWDs population too, in which 28.2% of working-aged (i.e. 15-64 years old) PWDs were

employed in 2018 and 2019 (“Singapore: Almost”, 2019). Despite PWDs facing greater care

expenses, many employed PWDs face the issue of low wages especially with rising costs today.

However, the government does offer schemes and services like the “Home Caregiving Grant” to

assist PWDs (SupportGoWhere, n.d.).

Prevalent negative stereotypes about PWDs include being less productive, and that they

are all incapable and dependent on others. It was found in a survey in Singapore that more than a

third of the public would not hire PWDs if they were employers, likely due to such stereotypes

(National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), n.d.) Hence, negative stereotypes against

PWDs seem rather prevalent in Singapore, generating stigma (Ko & Chung, 2022). PWDs are

also marginalised in a way where they have fewer job opportunities due to inaccessible

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workplaces and the absence of job support. In Singapore, an estimated 42.1.% of PWDs

graduated from special education schools (NCSS, 2017). However, there are few services for

them upon graduation. In fact, many current SkillsFuture offerings do not offer necessary

disability learning support (Goh, 2020)

The above are contributing factors to the low unemployment rate of PWDs. Without

employment, PWDs would have fewer opportunities to participate in public spaces, reducing

their social networks and support (Ko & Chung, 2022). Thus, they would likely develop fewer

relationships. Consequently, they may have less social support that is necessary for their

psychological health. In fact, more than 62% of PWDs in Singapore have expressed negative

feelings such as “not feeling accepted” (NVPC, n.d.). PWDs would also have less income to

finance their expenses and would be less independent financially and thus, becoming more

dependent on government schemes in the long term.

These outcomes raise the importance of government and workplaces’ support to increase

employment opportunities for PWDs. Below are suggestions for improvement:

Negative attitudes towards PWDs in Singapore remains because of a lack of public

knowledge and education on disabilities. A suggestion is to implement disability awareness

training in workplaces as a policy for all employees. It should cover misconceptions,

understanding barriers PWDs face and identifying ways to overcome these barriers, as well as

essential knowledge and skills in interacting with PWDs. This helps employees increase

understanding and openness to PWDs and working with them.

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 Having essential and relevant skills is important for job security. However, training

programmes available for PWDs are limited (SG Enable, n.d.). With that said, more training

programmes across various industries should be made readily accessible and inclusive. This

includes having specific learning support for PWDs and would require support from the

government and workplaces. In this way, PWDs would not be left out from job opportunities and

can expand their potential, necessary for their quality of life.

Word Count: 600

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 References

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