SINGAPORE – Creatives in Singapore and around the world are working imaginatively to shape more inclusive communities.
According to the latest numbers from the World Economic Forum (WEF), more than 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability, representing not only 17 per cent of the global population but also the largest minority group worldwide.
WEF aims to close the disability inclusion gap through a slew of initiatives, including getting 500 of the world’s biggest companies to commit to helping people with disabilities.
Some of the big names leading the charge are chief executives like Mr Tim Cook from Apple, Mr Sundar Pichai from Google and Mr Kenichiro Yoshida from Sony Group.
The forum adopts the United Nations’ social model of disability, which is the globally recognised way to address disability.
This is when the focus is shifted from the individual’s impairment to societal barriers preventing people with disabilities from fully participating in society.
In Singapore, home-grown multidisciplinary firm Stuck Design partnered SG Enable in 2022 to help produce the agency’s ground-breaking Design Playbook for Inclusive Spaces.
SG Enable, the focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, enables those with disabilities to live, learn, work and play in an inclusive society. It was set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2013.
The e-book, which is free on SG Enable’s website (sgenable.sg), is designed to guide businesses in creating inclusive spaces and experiences.
Stuck Design’s co-founder and principal designer Tze Lee, who helmed the six-member design team that worked on the project, says inclusive design goes beyond physical accessibility.
“It considers the experience of the place for everyone and is a great starting point for inspiring new experiences that benefit the community,” he says.
He adds that Stuck is looking at ways for companies to easily do a spatial scan of their existing spaces – based on SG Enable’s playbook principles and in partnership with people with disabilities – to uncover more opportunities for inclusive design.
“The Playbook is built on insights from various people with disabilities, caregivers and businesses with an inclusive slant,” says Mr Lee.
“We engaged this diverse set of participants through in-depth conversations and co-creation sessions, to uncover their needs and aspirations for more inclusive spaces.”
Swimming ace Theresa Goh, who flew the Singapore flag at the Paralympics in Athens in 2004, is looking forward to watching the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris – to be staged from Aug 28 to Sept 8 – from the comfort of the airy living room of her newly renovated home in Tampines.
She collaborated with local architect and interior designer Charmaine Wong on revamping her four-room Housing Board flat to allow her to move around easily on her wheelchair, as well as reach for essential items without straining.
“After the redesign, the space is cooler with cross-ventilation due to the absence of barriers,” says Goh, adding that she looks forward to “coming home to the laid-back vibe and to just chill out”.
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