SG Enable and Tote Board launch a $25 million Enabling Lives Initiative for a more inclusive society

SINGAPORE, 18 DECEMBER 2020 – SG Enable and Tote Board have launched the $25 million Enabling Lives Initiative (ELI) today to support efforts to build a more inclusive society. It comprises two components: a social innovation grant and a public education initiative for disability. The grant will support innovation projects that meet the needs and improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities, while the public education initiative seeks to bring about greater inclusion for persons with disabilities in schools, at work and within the community.

Tote Board first funded a social innovation grant and public education efforts for disability under the five-year Tote Board Enabling Lives Initiative (TBELI) in 2015. SG Enable was the grant management partner while National Council of Social Service (NCSS) managed the public education front. As part of the consolidation of disability functions announced at the Committee of Supply Debate 2020, public education on disability was transferred from NCSS to SG Enable in October 2020.

In 2020, Tote Board committed to extending the initiative for another 4 years, from 2020 to 2024. Tote Board has committed $20 million to the disability sector to support social innovations with the ELI Grant, and $5 million for public education. Care & Share Movement has also committed an additional $1.196 million to co-fund public education.

Ms Ku Geok Boon, Chief Executive Officer, SG Enable, said, “As SG Enable takes on its expanded scope as the focal agency for disability, we are well placed to provide a strategic view on emerging needs and connect stakeholders with different expertise and resources to foster collaboration. The Enabling Lives Initiative will advance our vision of an inclusive society.”

Mr Moses Lee, Chairman, Tote Board, said, “Our commitment to our vision of Giving Hope and Improving Lives spurs us to work with partners from diverse sectors to constantly provide new opportunities and pathways for vulnerable groups and to strengthen communities. The establishment of the TBELI grant in 2015, and the success of the ‘See the True Me’ have played significant roles in improving the lives of persons with disability and their caregivers. The renewal of the Enabling Lives Initiative catalyses progress for the disability sector, and reinforces our commitment towards building an inclusive society.”

$20 million ELI Grant to spark innovations for disability

The ELI Grant will bring together the best ideas from the community of non-profit organisations, social enterprises and innovators to create scalable, impactful innovations for persons with disabilities. The grant call will open in April 2021. The grant supports projects across three focus areas:

1. Living Independently: Empowering persons with disabilities to better manage life transitions and encourage greater levels of independence and self-sufficiency
2. Realising Potentials: Enabling persons with disabilities to thrive and have opportunities for meaningful employment and experiences, by developing their skills and knowledge
3. Connecting Communities: Engaging the community to increase the accessibility of services, facilities and opportunities to create a more inclusive society

Overall, the ELI Grant aims to bring about better outcomes for persons with disabilities.

Applications for the ELI Grant open in April 2021 and more information will be provided closer to that date on eli-grant.sg

The ELI Grant will build on the success of the TBELI Grant. Between 2015 and 2020, more than S$16 million was committed through 10 themed grant calls, supporting more than 40 projects. These projects have impacted more than 8,000 persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

$5 million ELI public education initiative to seek positive shift in attitudes and greater inclusion in three settings

Apart from sustaining a positive shift in the general public’s attitudes towards disability, the new ELI public education initiative seeks to bring about greater inclusion in three key settings: in schools, at work and within the community.

The ELI public education initiative builds on NCSS’ “See the True Me” public education campaign launched in 2016. The campaign urged Singaporeans to look beyond the disability and see persons with disabilities for who they are and their abilities. The ELI public education initiative will work with like-minded partners to promote inclusion and engage persons with disabilities to share their lived experiences and enable greater self-advocacy.

To encourage such engagements and as part of the new public education initiative, SG Enable and Tote Board seek partnerships with key stakeholders such as schools, employers, public service agencies and community groups to enable better interaction and integration of persons with disabilities in schools, at the workplace, and within the community.