As a party’s manifesto outlines the policy priorities they plan to push for if elected, we at DPA have compiled a list below of excerpts from the manifestos of various political parties in terms of what their manifestos mention regarding disability. As expected, not all parties explicitly mention disability in their manifestos, but below are parts of the manifestos that do.
We note that a party’s manifesto may not be the full picture of a party’s position on a given topic such as disability. Furthermore, it is important to emphasise that just because a party does not mention disability in their manifesto, does not mean that the party’s positions on various policies will necessarily not benefit the disability community. For example, parties that advocate for better wages could inevitably create a positive difference for the disability community even though their manifesto does not explicitly mention disability. We thus encourage all – if possible – to read through the manifestos of each party when making a decision on your vote.
To be clear, the below is just a compilation of excerpts from each party’s manifesto that mention or refer to disability. The presence of a policy below does not necessarily signify DPA’s position on the issue. To understand where DPA stands on various disability issues, refer to our blogs on our Research & Policy Blog, along with our various reports and position papers on our Resources page.
[Some manifestos are published as webpages, and some are published as PDFs – hence why some of the below excerpts have page numbers and others do not.]
The People’s Action Party (PAP)
The PAP’s full manifesto can be found here.
Below are excerpts from the PAP manifesto that mention disability:
Chapter 2: More Pathways – More Fulfilled Dreams
To cater for students with special needs we will:
- build four new Special Education (SPED) schools by 2030
- establish more early intervention centres for children with developmental needs
- extend the Development Support-Learning Support Programme to more pre-schools
Chapter 3: For Every Singaporean – The Support That You Need
To build a more inclusive Singapore for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), we will:
- strengthen the post-18 transition from school to work
- boost employment opportunities for PwDs
- subsidise adult disability services more generously
- pilot community living models to offer more choices for independent living
The Workers Party (WP)
The WP’s full manifesto can be found here.
Below are excerpts from the WP manifesto that mention disability:
More Healthcare Support for Persons with Disabilities
The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) currently provides additional subsidies to Singaporeans from the Pioneer, Merdeka and Majulah Generation, and Public Assistance cardholders. Persons with disabilities should also be included as a dedicated group eligible for special CHAS subsidies, regardless of income.
Singaporeans with disabilities should also receive additional MediSave top-ups and subsidies for intermediate and long-term care to support their higher medical expenses.
The government should also regulate insurers to ensure that they do not discriminate unfairly against people with disabilities, special needs, or mental or neurological illnesses.
Free Off-Peak Public Transport for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
Some seniors and persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Singapore may be deterred from working or maintaining an active lifestyle due to the costs of public transport. This not only affects economic participation but also mental and physical health.
The WP proposes free off-peak public transport for seniors and PwDs, funded by the government. This initiative would go some way in encouraging them to remain economically active and socially engaged.
Enhance SkillsFuture Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities
PwDs face barriers in accessing SkillsFuture-funded courses, mainly due to most training providers’ lack of accommodations tailored to their physical and learning needs. Although SG Enable offers a Capability Development Grant to create customised training programmes for PwDs, the take-up rate has been low.
To significantly increase the accessibility of SkillsFuture courses for PwDs, all SkillsFuture-funded training providers should be required to implement reasonable accommodations. This will ensure that PwDs can fully participate in these courses.
Enhance Legal Protections for Workers with Disabilities
PwDs working in Singapore currently lack sufficient legal protection against discrimination, particularly in employment. This gap in the law leaves them vulnerable and with insufficient support at the workplace.
The Workplace Fairness Act should include a comprehensive and inclusive definition of disability. It should legally mandate employers to provide reasonable accommodations for PwD employees, and be enforceable with prompt remedies and preventive measures for repeat offences.
Equalise SPED and Mainstream School Fees
Families with members with special needs generally already incur greater medical and living expenses. The fees for special education (SPED) schools should be lowered from the current $90 a month to the $13 currently charged by mainstream schools.
Increase School Bus Fare Subsidies for People with Disabilities
School bus fares are a significant concern for the disability and special needs community. Families in the community are more reliant on specialised transport options, and often have additional medical appointments or special programmes to attend, which raises transportation expenditures.
The monthly household income limit for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and Enabling Transport Subsidy (ETS) should be increased to decrease the impact of increase in transport costs for families who depend on school buses to send their children with disabilities for early intervention programmes and special needs care centres.
Increase Walk-In Slots at Polyclinics
Some Singaporeans – including the elderly and some persons with disabilities – struggle with accessing online polyclinic booking systems. This can hinder their ability to obtain primary healthcare services.
To address this, MOH should increase the number of walk-in slots at polyclinics and other government primary healthcare providers, specifically catering to seniors and others who face challenges with securing online bookings.
Develop the Mental Health Profession
The government should make regulating mental health professionals a priority, to ensure that vulnerable individuals seeking support for mental health conditions are provided a minimum standard of care and ethical guidelines. Those seeking help are by definition already at risk, and should not be exposed to unqualified or unethical individuals purporting to be able to help them.
Caregiving
Informal care is essential work that deserves proper compensation and recognition, and the financial and other costs associated with it should not only fall on caregivers.
We propose a tiered caregiver payment for those who reduce their work hours or leave work to care for a family member, provided they meet a minimum caregiving threshold. They should also receive CPF contributions to safeguard their long-term financial security.
The Home Caregiving Grant, which has been raised to a maximum $600 per month for families earning per capita income of $4,800 a month, should be expanded to assist those who are unable to perform Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), and not just Activities of Daily Living. IADLs are tasks that allow individuals to live independently, and include managing finances, communicating, taking medication and using transport, which can be affected by neurological or psychiatric conditions such as stroke, dementia and depression.
The Progress Singapore Party (PSP)
The PSP’s full manifesto can be found here.
Below are excerpts from the PSP manifesto that mention disability:
Social Safety Net, (1), pg. 42
(1) Simplify the existing multiple overlapping support scheme system to a few national schemes
The PSP calls on the Government to simplify the existing support scheme system, which has multiple overlapping support schemes, to a few national schemes that can achieve the same objectives of supporting Singaporeans who need help.
There are currently about 60 support schemes and services to help Singaporeans, and slightly more than half of those schemes require applications. Schemes requiring applications include the Community Health Assist Scheme, Public Transport Voucher Scheme, and ComCare Long Term Assistance.
This results in a confusing support scheme system that is challenging to navigate. Such an approach also comes with high administrative costs because external help may be needed to navigate through the maze of eligibility rules. This is especially so for those Singaporeans who are less proficient in English, or do not have the time or energy to determine which schemes they qualify for.
Social Safety Net, (8), pg. 49
(8) Strengthen support for mental health services
More can be done to strengthen support for mental health and psychological services. The PSP proposes to provide greater financial support for those seeking help with their mental health.
Currently, patients with schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety can withdraw up to S$500 from MediSave each year to defray the cost of treatments under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP). The PSP calls for these limits to be increased to reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients, due to the high cost of treatments for mental health conditions, such as counselling, therapy, and medications.
The Government should also officially regulate the provision of mental health services by counsellors, which is currently self-regulated. This will strengthen protections for consumers and provide practitioners with greater recognition.
We also call on the Government to increase the number of mental health professionals in public hospitals and reduce the waiting times for new subsidised appointments with mental health professionals. The average median waiting time for such an appointment with a psychiatrist at a public hospital has increased from 27 days in 2018 to 47 in 2023, while the average median waiting time to see a psychologist at a public hospital increased from 28 days in 2018 to 36 days in 2023. This is not acceptable.
With rising societal pressures and mental health conditions becoming increasingly prevalent, it is vital for the Government to improve access to mental health services in the public healthcare system.
Education, (2), pg. 54
(2) Allow for a range of school sizes, not just big schools
Currently, MOE routinely merges schools if they begin to get too small because of falling birth rates and changing demographics of housing estates. The merger and disappearance of schools results in a loss of heritage and identity for former students.
The PSP calls on the Government to re-evaluate whether schools should be closed or merged once they get too small. We believe that our education system should have a range of schools of different sizes in tune with our learning demographics.
Under such a system, families can then choose from a variety of schools that best fit their children’s profiles. Some schools could offer non-PSLE routes; others can allow neurotypical and neurodivergent children to study together.
Smaller schools also have their benefits, such as creating a stronger sense of community and belonging for students, and could be safe havens for children whose needs go unaddressed in big spaces and big class sizes, as they allow for deeper connections between staff and students.
The National Solidarity Party (NSP)
The NSP’s full manifesto can be found here.
Below are excerpts from the NSP manifesto that mention disability:
7. EDUCATION THAT EMPOWERS, NOT PRESSURE
Singapore must stop sorting children into narrow funnels of success. NSP will build a system that nurtures human potential beyond grades.
NSP will:
- Equalise funding across schools, including neighbourhood and special education institutions.
The People’s Power Party (PPP)
The PPP’s full manifesto can be found here.
Below are excerpts from the PPP manifesto that mention disability:
Good Governance, Policy Proposals to Achieve Good Governance, Institutionalized Checks & Balances, 1)
1) Establish Ombudsman Commission (OC) & Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Establish the Ombudsman Commission (OC) as well as Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), which will be put under the purview of the President’s Office. OC will take up the role of an independent watchdog of public administration. It will investigate complaints of maladministration, identify administrative deficiencies and recommend remedial measures to improve public administration. EOC will implement anti-discrimination legislation against gender, disability, family status and race, aiming to ensure equal opportunities for all based on individuals’ abilities.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)
The SDP’s full manifesto can be found here.
Below are excerpts from the SDP manifesto that mention disability:
Housing
The policy ideas contained in this paper, Housing a Nation: Holistic Policies for Affordable Homes tackle the key issue of affordability by introducing an innovative new housing scheme—the Non-Open Market (NOM) scheme—to our public housing system. This paper also introduces supplementary policies to support young families and foster inclusiveness within our public housing system.
The key features of the NOM system are as follows:
1. NOM flats may only be sold back to HDB at the purchase price less the consumed lease, their leases cannot be transferred in the HDB resale market.
2. Current owners of Open Market (OM) flats will have the option of converting to the NOM scheme, where the Government will return an amount based on the original purchase price from the HDB and the price of NOM flat of the same type.
3. HDB will hold a buffer stock of HDB flats to enable Singaporeans to obtain their flats with minimal waiting times.
The NOM system will increase the affordability and access to public housing for all Singaporeans. While our suggestions for young families and Singaporeans with special needs will ensure our public housing system is inclusive. The retirement adequacy of citizens will be enhanced through lower mortgage repayments and higher savings accumulation in our CPF accounts. Collectively, these SDP policies can contribute towards resolving some of the major problems affecting public housing in Singapore today.
Educating For Creativity and Equality (11)
11. Any nation wanting to foster an inclusive society cannot ignore the situation of children with special needs. Although the government has put in place mechanisms to include children with disabilities in our regular schools, more needs to be done. Presently, Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) still provide much of the education of special needs children. Since the publication of our report, the Transition Support for Integration (TRANSIT) program has been introduced for early primary school children. Under the SDP plan, the government will take over all special education and centralise such services with the help and support of the experienced VWOs now known as social service agencies.
