President’s Message

At the start of a new decade, we found ourselves maneuvering a myriad of challenges resulting from COVID-19. As we stood in solidarity with the rest of Singapore against the virus, we were deeply heartened to see the community also standing by us.

Building on the momentum from last year, we continued to make progress in FY2019/2020 with care and support extended to help more persons with disabilities, including partnerships forged to strengthen SPD and inclusion in the community.

Read the full message here

People We Serve

We serve children and youth with special needs requiring early intervention and education support, adults with varying congenital or acquired disabilities seeking employment and independence, and even the elderly who want to be self-reliant through rehabilitation and day care.

Highlights of the Year

                                                  
                                                    Conferred the Charity Transparency Award for the fourth consecutive year since its introduction in 2016.

                                                  
                                                    Established a three-year partnership with Keppel Corporation to transform the SPD Sheltered Workshop.

                                                  
                                                    Launched the NatSteel-SPD Empowerment Award to encourage students with disabilities to pursue their dreams beyond academics.

                                                  
                                                    Collaborated with the National Library Board to promote inclusion among its readers.

                                                  
                                                    A record number of 32 staff were recognised for service excellence at the Singapore Health Quality Service Awards 2019.

*10,500

lives transformed
in the year

1,354

children & youth supported
in early intervention
and education

6,174

individuals supported by
100 therapists in
61 rehab-based
community programmes

*Indicates service counts

Supporting Children with Developmental Needs

Our early intervention programmes support children and youth diagnosed with developmental needs to reach their highest potential.

Children and youth
supported in early
intervention:

1,271

Early Intervention Programme
for Infants and Children

656

children supported

Development Support/Learning
Support (DS/LS)

472

children supported

Continuing Therapy
Programme (CTP)

143

children and youth supported

*Increase as compared to numbers in FY18/19.

Moving Ahead,
One Step at a Time

5-year-old Rayyan was born with cerebral palsy which affected his movements and communication. After enrolling in EIPIC at SPD@Bedok in 2017, his gross motor skills have improved and he can now stand using leg braces with some support. He can also communicate his views using a buzzer to indicate yes and no.

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Empowering Youth in Schools

We support students with disabilities from primary to university levels holistically through bursary, scholarships, tuition grants, case management and befriending services.

Children and youth
supported in
mainstream schools:

83 ^$224,975

in bursaries and scholarships awarded to

59

bursary

18

scholarship
recipients

Looking Forward to Living
a Fuller Life

Keith was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age. The bursary programme has helped Keith with his Math tuition fees and daily allowances since 2017. Not only is the 17-year-old now enrolled in a Higher Nitec course at the ITE for web application development, he has also recently picked up mixed martial arts. This positive and confident young man looks to make his mark in the area of IT and live his life to the fullest.

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Supporting Persons with Disabilities in Employment

Employment provides dignity and self-reliance. SPD strives to secure work opportunities for persons with disabilities in supported, sheltered and open employment.

The ESP helps people with physical disabilities as well as hearing and vision loss secure open employment. The ESP also provides job support, and courses and training on improving employability.

Jobseekers with disabilities supported

481

Physical disabilities

55%

Never Giving Up on the
Opportunity to be Independent

Alan was diagnosed with partial hearing loss in both ears about 20 years ago. Although he can speak and articulate well, albeit with a slight slur, it was difficult for him to land the right job. At the ESP, Alan attended courses to develop his soft skills and improve his self-confidence. He was matched to a customer service officer position and now handles social media enquiries for a major company. Alan is glad to be a contributing member of society.

The SPD Sheltered Workshop provides supported employment and vocational training for persons with disabilities through projects and contract work. They are engaged in either skilled craftwork, assembly and packing work, or IT-related projects.

Types of Disabilities

Physical disabilities

61%

Intellectual disabilities

18%

Making Friends and Finding
Independence

Aaron has moderate Autism Spectrum Disorder and moderate intellectual disability. He requires a routine and has difficulty regulating his emotions. When Aaron was first transferred to an enclave worksite, he struggled to understand the changes to his work routine. Our occupational therapists practiced appropriate social interaction with him and also gave him a schedule to help him anticipate changes in his routine. Over time, the 20-year-old matured into a young adult who can work independently and is well-liked by his supervisors and co-workers.

The TTE is a community-based programme that adopts a trans-disciplinary and client-centred approach to help persons with acquired physical disabilities return to work or school.

Stepping Out with Confidence

Mr Lim Chin Huat was previously working as a plumber when he had a stroke in 2018. His self-confidence took a hit and at one point, he didn’t want to take public transport and felt ashamed of his disabilities. Mr Lim enrolled in TTE in mid-2018 and through vocational training, he went on to gain employment in the F&B sector. A more confident and happier Mr Lim has been working as a service staff at Sushi Express in May 2019.

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Improving Quality of Lives

Improving the lives of persons with disabilities and their caregivers by providing respite care as well as therapy services for the community.

Through balanced and structured programmes, the DAC meaningfully engages adults with disabilities and build their skills in self-help, community living and social recreation. Caregivers and family members also get much-needed respite from their caregiving duties.

90

respite care recipients

Integrating into Mainstream Society

Isaac has Autism Spectrum Disorder. He faces difficulties in controlling his impulses and does not understand social norms. An area to be addressed was managing his impulse to intrude the personal space of female strangers. With education, consistent interventions, verbal prompting and working closely with his parents Isaac now has more control over his behaviour and the frequency of his impulses have decreased.

The SPD Rehabilitation Centres provide step-down care in the community for adults and the elderly with disabilities. Day care programme for the elderly is also available at SPD@Toa Payoh.

444

clients supported
at the Rehabilitation
Centres

141

clients enrolled in
SPD@Toa Payoh’s day care
programme

Aging in Place at Home

Mdm Anjelai d/o A Krishnasamy was home-bound and her quality of life compromised due to a multitude of health issues. She was unable to get around in the community on her own nor do housework. Her son, who is her main caregiver and also a person with disabilities, only goes out using his motorised wheelchair to buy food and for dialysis.

Mdm Anjelai was enrolled in SPD@Toa Payoh’s day care programme in February 2020 where she enjoys the company of her peers and participates actively in the activities. Mdm Anjelai socialises well at the centre and today enjoys a vastly improved quality of life.

Unlocking Potential through Technology

Promote the use of assistive technology (AT) at the Specialised Assistive Technology Centre (Specialised ATC) situated at Tech Able, which is jointly managed by SPD and SG Enable, at the Enabling Village.

272

lives enriched
through AT prescriptions

666

intervention/training
sessions conducted

713

AT devices
loaned out

A New Tech-Enabled Life

Valerie was born with cerebral palsy which affects her mobility and speech. The 15-year-old faced many challenges in school as she could not participate effectively in classroom discussions and her teachers could not decipher her writing. Our AT professionals assessed her needs and prescribed solutions that helped her in her studies.

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Supporting Clients and Caregivers in Every Way

Our social workers and case management officers provide counselling, financial assessment and assistance, guidance on self-care management and referrals for persons with disabilities and their families, connecting them to useful community resources.

540

individuals and their families received
case management support

70%

middle aged and elderly

1,937

caregivers were supported and engaged through a series of training, support activities, events and field trips.

Renewed Hope

Mdm Jumiah Binte Junit has poliomyelitis since young. The condition affected her limbs and she requires a wheelchair to move about. SPD’s social workers have helped her with the application for construction of a ramp as well as with the purchase and upkeeping of a motorised wheelchair so that she can move about easily in the community. More recently, our social workers have also helped her with the utilisation of digital messaging platforms to stay connected with her family and friends. The case management support has helped Mdm Jumiah improve her mobility independence and social life.

Our Supporters

We garnered the community and built a network of supporters who believed in supporting persons with disabilities and building an inclusive society for all.