SINGAPORE: In the coming years, students in all mainstream schools will have the chance to experience what it is like to play a disability sport.
The initiative is one of ten "strategic moves" under a revised Disability Sport Master Plan (DSMP).
Other upcoming initiatives include the launching of a new fund to support disability sports initiatives and the setting up of community hubs for para sports across Singapore.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong emphasised that the refreshed master plan goes beyond simply expanding sports opportunities for persons with disabilities. It also seeks to engage the wider community, promoting awareness of diversity and acceptance while fostering partnerships in the disability sector.
"Our vision today is to chart our next bound of inclusivity through sport, where more members of our disability community can be engaged, enriched and also empowered through sport,"
Launched in 2016, DSMP - the master plan - aims to raise awareness of disability sports and expand access and opportunities for sports participation among persons with disabilities.
Since then, there has been an increase in the sports participation rate among persons with disabilities from 28 per cent in 2015 to 46 per cent last year, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
In May last year, a taskforce comprising representatives from various ministries, including the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), as well as the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), was formed to refresh the DSMP.
The taskforce was chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua and has since engaged 850 stakeholders.
The ministry said that many stakeholders acknowledged "significant progress" since the DSMP's inception but also highlighted "notable areas".
These include providing more sporting opportunities for persons with disabilities in schools and the community, increasing awareness of disability and inclusive sports, as well as creating more pathways for those who want to pursue disability sports at a high-performance level.
Through the refreshed DSMP, the ministry hopes to raise participation in disability sports to 70 per cent, "sustain podium success", increase the number of para athletes and sports represented at major para sports championships and major Games, and increase awareness to build a "cohesive society" through inclusive sports by 2030.
Mainstream schools conducting disability-related programmes for students will help "promote understanding and build awareness" of the challenges faced by those with disabilities when doing sports, said MCCY.
These programmes, which authorities aim to roll out to all mainstream schools by 2028, can be conducted through co-curricular activities, the Sports Education Programme (SEP), Values in Action experiences, or other forms of school activities.
Currently, only 30 to 35 per cent of mainstream schools offer such opportunities.
The scope and design of the programme will be planned at the school level to best fit into the existing school programming and "optimise" the students’ learning, said MCCY.
Sport Singapore (SportSG) and MOE will increase the number of schools which offer SEP and expand inclusive sports offerings within the SEP.
MOE will also include more events in the National School Games so that students with disabilities can compete together and interact with one another.
“With the expansion of disability sports programmes to all mainstream schools, students in mainstream schools will be able to experience and appreciate the challenges faced by persons with disabilities when doing sports, and recognise that sporting activities can be inclusive," said MOE's director of physical, sports & outdoor education Krishnan Aravinthan.
The Enabling Sports Fund will also be launched next year.
The fund will aim to "encourage impactful community-initiated disability sports initiatives", and the government will match dollar for dollar for donations made to this fund.
The goal is to raise at least S$10 million by 2030.
Separately, SportSG also will set up Para Sports Community Hubs to grow the base of aspiring para athletes.
The first five of such hubs will be piloted across the island by the end of this year, with more to be established by 2030.
These hubs will be at Pasir Ris Sport Centre (boccia), Heartbeat@Bedok (swimming and table tennis), Jurong West Sport Centre (swimming and para cycling), Yio Chu Kang Sport Centre (athletics and badminton) and Delta Sport Centre (goalball).
Boccia, which means to bowl in Italian, is a target ball sport played by athletes in wheelchairs. Goalball relies almost entirely on sound, having been created for those who are blind or have low vision.
These hubs will serve as "focal points" to engage sports enthusiasts and newcomers to disability sports, said MCCY.
All ActiveSG sport centres will also have a calm room by the end of 2030, starting with a pilot calm room in each zone by the end of 2025.
"Sports facilities that are accessible ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy and play sports in these facilities in a conducive manner," said MCCY.
"SportSG will continue to enhance access to and within ActiveSG sports facilities so that persons with different disability types find them accessible."
There are also plans to increase the number of registered coaches under the National Registry of Coaches who can coach persons with disabilities from about 120 today to 300 by 2030.
MCCY also said that a national training centre for para sport will be located at Team Singapore's upcoming Kallang premises.
"HTSG (Home of Team Singapore) will house the National Training Centre for para sport, with dedicated training facilities to meet the needs of selected para sports. This facility will contribute towards fostering a stronger TeamSG spirit and further develop disability sports in Singapore," added the ministry.
"The strategic moves reflect Singapore’s commitment to inclusivity and mark a significant step in expanding sports opportunities for persons with disabilities, so that everyone has opportunities to train, play and compete together in sports," added Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, who is president of the SDSC, Singapore National Paralympic Council and Special Olympics Singapore.
"We believe that through sport, we can build a more inclusive society that fosters empathy and improve the well-being of persons with disabilities. Together, we will build a sports ecosystem where persons of all abilities can participate and thrive in."
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The initiative is one of ten "strategic moves" under a revised Disability Sport Master Plan (DSMP).
Other upcoming initiatives include the launching of a new fund to support disability sports initiatives and the setting up of community hubs for para sports across Singapore.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong emphasised that the refreshed master plan goes beyond simply expanding sports opportunities for persons with disabilities. It also seeks to engage the wider community, promoting awareness of diversity and acceptance while fostering partnerships in the disability sector.
"Our vision today is to chart our next bound of inclusivity through sport, where more members of our disability community can be engaged, enriched and also empowered through sport,"
Launched in 2016, DSMP - the master plan - aims to raise awareness of disability sports and expand access and opportunities for sports participation among persons with disabilities.
Since then, there has been an increase in the sports participation rate among persons with disabilities from 28 per cent in 2015 to 46 per cent last year, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
In May last year, a taskforce comprising representatives from various ministries, including the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), as well as the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), was formed to refresh the DSMP.
The taskforce was chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua and has since engaged 850 stakeholders.
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The ministry said that many stakeholders acknowledged "significant progress" since the DSMP's inception but also highlighted "notable areas".
These include providing more sporting opportunities for persons with disabilities in schools and the community, increasing awareness of disability and inclusive sports, as well as creating more pathways for those who want to pursue disability sports at a high-performance level.
Through the refreshed DSMP, the ministry hopes to raise participation in disability sports to 70 per cent, "sustain podium success", increase the number of para athletes and sports represented at major para sports championships and major Games, and increase awareness to build a "cohesive society" through inclusive sports by 2030.
BUILDING AWARENESS IN SCHOOLS
Mainstream schools conducting disability-related programmes for students will help "promote understanding and build awareness" of the challenges faced by those with disabilities when doing sports, said MCCY.
These programmes, which authorities aim to roll out to all mainstream schools by 2028, can be conducted through co-curricular activities, the Sports Education Programme (SEP), Values in Action experiences, or other forms of school activities.
Currently, only 30 to 35 per cent of mainstream schools offer such opportunities.
The scope and design of the programme will be planned at the school level to best fit into the existing school programming and "optimise" the students’ learning, said MCCY.
Sport Singapore (SportSG) and MOE will increase the number of schools which offer SEP and expand inclusive sports offerings within the SEP.
MOE will also include more events in the National School Games so that students with disabilities can compete together and interact with one another.
“With the expansion of disability sports programmes to all mainstream schools, students in mainstream schools will be able to experience and appreciate the challenges faced by persons with disabilities when doing sports, and recognise that sporting activities can be inclusive," said MOE's director of physical, sports & outdoor education Krishnan Aravinthan.
The Enabling Sports Fund will also be launched next year.
The fund will aim to "encourage impactful community-initiated disability sports initiatives", and the government will match dollar for dollar for donations made to this fund.
The goal is to raise at least S$10 million by 2030.
Related:
"FOCAL POINTS" ISLANDWIDE
Separately, SportSG also will set up Para Sports Community Hubs to grow the base of aspiring para athletes.
The first five of such hubs will be piloted across the island by the end of this year, with more to be established by 2030.
These hubs will be at Pasir Ris Sport Centre (boccia), Heartbeat@Bedok (swimming and table tennis), Jurong West Sport Centre (swimming and para cycling), Yio Chu Kang Sport Centre (athletics and badminton) and Delta Sport Centre (goalball).
Boccia, which means to bowl in Italian, is a target ball sport played by athletes in wheelchairs. Goalball relies almost entirely on sound, having been created for those who are blind or have low vision.
These hubs will serve as "focal points" to engage sports enthusiasts and newcomers to disability sports, said MCCY.
All ActiveSG sport centres will also have a calm room by the end of 2030, starting with a pilot calm room in each zone by the end of 2025.
"Sports facilities that are accessible ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy and play sports in these facilities in a conducive manner," said MCCY.
"SportSG will continue to enhance access to and within ActiveSG sports facilities so that persons with different disability types find them accessible."
There are also plans to increase the number of registered coaches under the National Registry of Coaches who can coach persons with disabilities from about 120 today to 300 by 2030.
MCCY also said that a national training centre for para sport will be located at Team Singapore's upcoming Kallang premises.
"HTSG (Home of Team Singapore) will house the National Training Centre for para sport, with dedicated training facilities to meet the needs of selected para sports. This facility will contribute towards fostering a stronger TeamSG spirit and further develop disability sports in Singapore," added the ministry.
"The strategic moves reflect Singapore’s commitment to inclusivity and mark a significant step in expanding sports opportunities for persons with disabilities, so that everyone has opportunities to train, play and compete together in sports," added Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, who is president of the SDSC, Singapore National Paralympic Council and Special Olympics Singapore.
"We believe that through sport, we can build a more inclusive society that fosters empathy and improve the well-being of persons with disabilities. Together, we will build a sports ecosystem where persons of all abilities can participate and thrive in."
Related:
Continue reading...