PUBLISHED ONDecember 05, 2025 9:33 AMBYSean LerMany parents of students with disabilities have concerns about the school-to-work transition for their children when they turn 18 and complete schooling at special education schools (Sped), said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Dec 5).
He was speaking at the launch of Vista @ Enabling Village in Bukit Merah on Friday morning, where he also announced the launch of a new taskforce on assurance for families with persons with disabilities at the event.
Vista, a four-storey block at the Enabling Village, provides a dedicated space for those with disabilities after they turn 18 and age out of the system. It will also host initiatives that strengthen support for caregivers.
The taskforce will complement the Enabling Masterplan 2030 by adopting a life-course and family-centric perspective to develop recommendations that provide greater opportunities and assurances to persons with disabilities and their families.
Acknowledging that parents may wonder if their children are work-ready and whether they can live independently, PM Wong said that more can be done.
"Under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, we have a series of recommendations that the team is working on to strength post-Sped and post-18 support.
"But there is still more than be done, because in Singapore, we are never satisfied with the status quo, and we are always looking to improve," PM Wong said.
Turning to the next bound, beyond the recommendations set out in the masterplan, PM Wong shared that efforts to help these students must go beyond the short-term.
He noted that students with disabilities may need a longer time to become accustomed to their new roles at work, and can benefit from a more customised learning arrangement and curriculum to help them prepare for work.
"Employment is important. But it is just one part of inclusion. Ultimately, we want to enable persons with disabilities to participate fully in society," PM Wong said, adding that efforts to support them and their families must be across the entire life stage, on a continuing basis.
"This is how we ensure that they are not just recipients of care, but integral, and dignified contributing members of our society," he added.
PM Wong also encouraged employers and Singaporeans to change their attitudes and mindsets towards persons with disabilities, so that every Singaporean can have dignity and respect, and a meaningful role to play.
The new taskforce, chaired by Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, will develop recommendations in three areas: employment, community living, and affordability.
Specifically, it will look at how to support persons with disabilities to adapt in a fast-changing employment landscape through upskilling, reskilling and expanding the range of employment opportunities.
It will also consider ways to strengthen community-based supports for such persons, including improved access to healthcare, care planning and sustained support for families.
The final area of study entails how to keep disability support services affordable for persons with disabilities and their families.
Goh recognised that the areas to be studied by his committee are "real pressures" that families navigate daily.
To this end, Goh said that his taskforce will consult with persons with disabilities, caregivers, corporates and community partners to co-create practical solutions.
The taskforce will make their recommendations sometime in 2026.
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