National Council of Social Service (NCSS) has revealed data concerning people with disabilities across various age groups in Singapore. This is likely to give a boost to government's efforts of making Singapore a more inclusive society in terms of accommodating people with disabilities.
NCSS Vice President Anita Fam, who chaired the panel behind the blueprint, wrote in the foreword, “The steering committee was of the view that a detailed profiling of persons with disabilities in the country… was necessary for the effective planning and delivery of needed services in the disability sector today and in the future."
The prevalence of disabilities in the student population (aged 7 to 18) is 2.1 per cent, and that in people aged 18 to 49 is 3.4 per cent. However, figure is much higher in the people aged 50 as about 13.3 per cent have disabilities.
These figures were mentioned in the foreword of the report for the latest Enabling Masterplan, a national blueprint for disability services from 2017 to 2021. Enabling Masterplan is a five-year roadmap to guide the development of policies, programmes, services and other support for the persons with disabilities.
Figure for the student population came from the Ministry of Education.
Figures of other age groups are based on a random sample of 2,000 Singapore residents aged 18 and above surveyed by NCSS last year. This also includes people who acquired disabilities due to accidents, illness or old age.