Dip in positive sentiments towards people with disabilities: Report

This was mainly due to dip at the workplace; positive attitudes linked to frequent contact

- Shermaine Ang

Positive sentiments towards people with disabilities (PWDs) have declined in Singapore and this was mainly due to a dip in attitudes at the workplace.

In 2023, 68.9 per cent of people here held a positive attitude towards PWDs. This was a fall of nearly 8 percentage points from the 76.8 per cent in 2019.

In particular, the proportion of respondents who had positive attitudes towards PWDs at the workplace decreased from 59.6 per cent in 2019 to 50.6 per cent in 2023, a survey by the National Council of Social Service showed.

About 2,000 Singapore residents without disabilities were polled on how they viewed PWDs in areas such as education, employment and public access.

Results from the Public Attitudes Study, which was conducted in 2019 and 2023, were highlighted in the first Disability Trends Report released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Dec 2.

The change in attitudes comes amid ongoing efforts to increase the employment rate of PWDs in Singapore to 40 per cent by 2030. An estimated 4,500 more such individuals are expected to have jobs by that year.

The report provides an overview of key trends relating to PWDs and their caregivers in areas such as inclusive employment, caregiving support and public attitudes.