Queenstown to expand accessible spaces on Marine Parade for disabled visitors

SINGAPORE, 5 OCTOBER 2026 —

Singapore Launches Inclusive Community Pilots in Queenstown, Marine Parade to Boost Disability Access and Employment

The initiative, announced on October 4 by the inter-agency task force led by Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, marks the first time such comprehensive community-based efforts will be tested in Singapore.

The move underscores Singapore’s commitment to shifting from segregated support systems to mainstream inclusion, with the pilot programmes set to begin in 2027. The government aims to embed accessibility and social integration into daily life—not as isolated projects, but as a cultural shift—by collaborating with grassroots organisations, private sector partners, and residents themselves.

The announcement follows feedback from PWDs and caregivers who highlighted persistent barriers, including stigma, lack of public understanding, and limited opportunities for meaningful community engagement.

At the heart of the initiative is SG Enable, Singapore’s national disability agency, which will spearhead the transformation of parks, hawker centres, and other public spaces in Queenstown and Marine Parade. The pilot will focus on practical improvements such as widening pathways to accommodate wheelchairs, installing tactile paving for visually impaired individuals, and ensuring restrooms and seating areas meet universal design standards.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua, whose Queenstown constituency is one of the pilot sites, emphasised the importance of "finer details" in accessibility, noting that pathways must be wide enough to allow two wheelchairs to pass comfortably—a detail often overlooked in standard infrastructure planning.

A parallel initiative at Paya Lebar Quarter, a mixed-use development operated by Lendlease, will prioritise employment for PWDs. SG Enable will partner with the mall operator and its tenants to identify suitable job roles, with on-site job coaches providing training and support. This follows a broader trend in Singapore, where employers are increasingly required to reserve a percentage of jobs for PWDs under the Enhanced Employment Support Scheme.

Chua stressed that inclusion should not rely on creating separate spaces for disabled individuals but instead integrate them into everyday community life. "The more opportunities we have to meet, work alongside, and get to know one another, the more naturally inclusion can become part of everyday life," he said during a press conference at the Enabling Village in Bukit Merah.

The task force’s report also addressed concerns raised by PWDs and caregivers about the transition from school or special education programmes to independent living. Some individuals noted that current support structures—such as Day Activity Centres and Sheltered Workshops—do not adequately prepare them for long-term autonomy. In response, the government will progressively convert these facilities into Enabling Skills Centres, which will merge the functions of both types of centres under a structured curriculum.

The Enabling Skills for Life Programme, piloted in 2025, will focus on teaching everyday skills, independence, and employability, while also supporting caregivers in reinforcing these lessons at home. Currently, the Ministry of Social and Family Development funds 33 Day Activity Centres and eight Sheltered Workshops, providing 3,600 places for PWDs, with 3,300 individuals currently using these services and 600 on waitlists since December 2025.

Beyond community spaces, the task force is also targeting major attractions to enhance accessibility. SG Enable will collaborate with Sentosa Development Corporation to make the island a more inclusive leisure and tourism destination. This includes workplace support for PWD employees—currently numbering over 60 across various roles on Sentosa—as well as designing visitor experiences that cater to diverse needs.

The Greater Sentosa Master Plan will incorporate accessibility and universal design principles into future developments, building on Sentosa’s existing features, such as Singapore’s first accessible beach track.

The expansion of Enabling Services Hubs, which consolidate social services, employment support, and recreational activities, will further strengthen the ecosystem. By 2028, the network will grow to 12 locations, up from the current three in Tampines, Jurong West, and Punggol, with a fourth hub planned in Marine Parade. Additionally, eight new sites will be established to provide caregivers with better access to information and assistance, including respite care, starting from 2027.

The three existing hubs will serve as initial points of access, ensuring that support is geographically distributed and easily reachable.

The initiatives reflect Singapore’s broader policy shift towards community-based living for PWDs, moving away from institutional care models. The task force’s approach aligns with global best practices, where inclusive design and social integration are key to improving quality of life for disabled individuals.

For Malaysia and the broader ASEAN region, where urbanisation and ageing populations are accelerating demand for similar inclusive infrastructure, Singapore’s pilot could serve as a model for policy-makers seeking to balance economic development with social equity.

As the pilot programmes take shape, stakeholders—including grassroots leaders, private sector partners, and disability advocacy groups—will play a critical role in shaping their success. The government’s emphasis on public education to foster more confident and respectful interactions with PWDs suggests that cultural change will be as important as physical infrastructure.

With the first phase set to begin in 2027, the outcomes of these pilots will be closely watched, not only in Singapore but across the region, where inclusive urban planning remains a work in progress.