SG Enable celebrates a decade of championing disability inclusion in Singapore
05 May 2023
The focal agency for disability and inclusion calls for continued collaboration to enable persons with disabilities to live, learn, work, and play in the most inclusive city in the world
SINGAPORE, 5 MAY 2023 – SG Enable celebrated its 10th anniversary today with a dinner attended by over 600 guests, including persons with disabilities, caregivers and partners from the people, public and private sectors.
The dinner event was graced by Guest of Honour Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies; Host Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health; and Special Guest Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development & Culture, Community and Youth.
SG Enable’s 10th anniversary is themed “Celebrate. Collaborate. Champion.” The dinner was a celebration of the sector’s progress in enabling disability inclusion, honouring the partners and friends who collaborate with SG Enable and each other to champion disability inclusion in Singapore.
Looking ahead, Mr Moses Lee, Chairman, SG Enable, said: “We will build upon the achievements of the past decade and continue making strides towards creating equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities to fulfil their potential and aspirations. We will build an inclusive mindset and encourage more inclusive behaviours. We will also continue to push for inclusive employment, lifelong learning and meaningful engagement opportunities for persons with disabilities. For caregivers, we will continue to form partnerships to create a well-coordinated support system that addresses caregivers’ needs.”
Highlights of the evening included “Our Gift to Singapore” installation, a collective showcase of artworks by persons with disabilities featured in National Day Parade (NDP) collaterals given to NDP audiences and Singaporean households from 2020 to 2022. It was first unveiled in celebration of Singapore’s 57th birthday by President Halimah Yacob.
67 organisations and individuals were also accredited and recognised at the Enabling Mark Awards Ceremony, first launched in 2021, for their exemplary contributions towards disability-inclusive employment. Two new organisations, Bizlink and National Library Board were presented with the Enabling Mark (Platinum), joining six Enabling Mark (Platinum) employers which have received accreditation for their best practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. The National Library Board is also the first public service organisation to be accredited with Enabling Mark (Platinum).
- DPM Heng presented the Enabling Mark (Gold) and Enabling Mark (Platinum) and Minister Masagos presented the Exemplary Employee Award, Enabling Buddy Award, Enabling Champion Award and Enabling Innovation Award.
At the dinner, SPS Chua also unveiled SG Enable’s upcoming public education campaign with its campaign video titled “UnAwkward”. The campaign video turns the tables and spotlights the “invisible disability” of awkwardness that impedes us from shifting from an awareness about disability to positive actions of inclusion. Through humour, the campaign hopes to have people with and without disabilities share their own awkward experiences, normalise the feeling, learn how to “unawkward” themselves, and encourage more people to take the first step in getting to know persons with disabilities. This campaign is part of SG Enable’s i’mable public education initiative which not only celebrates different abilities but also encourages everyone to recognise our ability to reduce barriers for persons with disabilities and embrace them as our neighbours, co-workers and friends.
The dinner ended with the performance of a specially commissioned song “Our Story” by a 100-member inclusive choir comprising persons with and without disabilities from Voices of Singapore and SG Enable. DPM Heng, Minister Masagos and SPS Chua joined this performance too. The song invites everyone to jointly create “Our Story” of building a caring and inclusive Singapore.
As SG Enable celebrates a decade of building an inclusive society and enabling lives, it invites partners and friends to join in its mission to create equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities and enable them to live, learn, work and play in a caring and inclusive society.
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