Singapore 🇸🇬’s Disability Trends Report 2024 fascinating — from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), among the most complete disability datasets in the region. DIPS has tracked 2,000 people with disabilities and 2,000 caregivers since 2022 across 8 topics — quality of life, employment, independent living — every 2 years through 2030.

The wins: employment among people with disabilities rose from 28.2% to 32.7% (2018/19 to 2022/23), aiming for 40% by 2030 (EMP2030). Full-time work grew from 74.5% to 79.7%. Median income jumped from 2,630 to 4,242 SGD monthly — up 61%, vs. 18% for others.

Quality of life rose from 53.8 to 56.2 (of 100). Public spaces are 99.5% accessible. Assistive tech users grew 5x (394 to 2,001). These figures cover 45,000 people with disabilities registered with the state — not all.

Honest challenges: positive attitudes toward people with disabilities fell from 76.8% to 68.9% — lowest at work, 50.6%. Caregiver quality of life dropped from 64.7 to 62.1; their median age is 57, nearly 1 in 4 over 65.

Most striking: personal contact is associated with changed hearts. Positive attitudes toward autistic people jumped from 51.2% to 66.7% among those who know someone autistic.

Infrastructure is 99.5% accessible. But a livable city isn’t just ramps and tactile paving — it’s a society where everyone stands equal. True Freedom lives in our hearts.

Sources: MSF Disability Trends Report 2024