STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR KAREN TAN, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE 9TH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, 14-16 JUNE 2016

Mr Chair,

          This year’s Conference of States parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities comes at an important juncture, being the first following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by UN member states in September last year.  It is incumbent upon the global community to take concrete steps to build an inclusive society for persons with disabilities in order to reach the goal of “Leaving no one behind”.

            In Singapore, support for persons with disabilities has grown since we first commemorated the International Day of Disability in 1992.  Today, persons with disabilities have more options in Singapore, be it in education, employment, transport or living arrangements within our community.  While we have made progress on several fronts, we recognise that supporting and empowering persons with disabilities to reach their full potential and lead independent lives as contributing members of society, is an ongoing process. In 2012, we launched our second Enabling Masterplan, a blueprint of policies, programmes and services to foster greater inclusion for persons with disabilities. Many of the recommendations in the plan have been implemented. In 2013, we ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

            Singapore continues to make significant progress in various areas of accessibility for the disability community.  Our public transit system, such as our subway stations and trains, buses and bus interchanges are progressively more wheelchair-friendly. We have also built more accessible facilities such as ramps, elevators at overhead bridges, tactile tracks and visually-impaired friendly ATMs in our neighbourhoods.

            This year, we officially opened an “Enabling Village”, a unique community space where persons with disabilities can access resources and employment opportunities.  Just a few weeks ago, our first disability sports programme, (for swimming), was launched at a Sports Complex serving as one of the Centres of Expertise for disability sports under the ‘Disability Sports Masterplan’.  Our National Council of Social Service has also launched inclusive playgrounds with wheelchair accessibility features which allow children with disabilities to play alongside their peers. More “inclusive playgrounds” are in the pipeline and will be completed in the next few years. These efforts are gaining momentum. With the adoption of universal designs for our city, Singapore is moving closer to our vision of becoming a truly inclusive society. 

            Having accessible facilities is just one aspect of fostering an inclusive and caring society.  Beyond the physical hardware and infrastructure, what is even more important is to raise awareness within the wider community on disability issues, and to nurture the right attitudes towards interacting with persons with disabilities amongst us. That is why this month, Singapore launched a national Disability Awareness Campaign, “See the True Me”, which reflects a concerted effort to make inclusivity part of the lives of Singaporeans, by enabling them to better understand and empathise with the challenges persons with disabilities face.

Mr Chair,

          As we in Singapore begin work on our third Enabling Masterplan, to bring social inclusion to the next level, we remain committed to our goal of building a more inclusive society, where persons with disabilities will not be left behind, and can lead meaningful lives and participate fully as members of our society.

            I thank you.

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