25 Disability Sector Leaders Appointed To Champion Rights Of People With Disabilities

We Are Able! Pledge Card

We Are Able! Pledge Card

The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) appointed 25 leaders across the disability sector to serve as champions for the different needs of persons with disabilities in the areas of accessibility, assistive technology, education, health and employment. This follows Singapore’s signing of the United Nations Conventions for the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in November 2012.

Two of the 25 champions are senior management staff from SPD. Mr Abhimanyau Pal, executive director, champions the healthcare needs of persons with disabilities and Mr Royson Poh, senior assistant director, technology & vocational training, champions the need for assistive technology and accessibility.

By becoming a signatory to the convention, the Singapore Government is taking an affirmative step to indicate their intention to be bound by the treaty, said Mr Abhimanyau Pal. This is a historical point for people with disabilities in Singapore, he added.

Following the signing of the treaty, Singapore will need to ratify the convention by taking concrete steps that will signal the intention to undertake legal rights and obligations contained in the Convention.

To engage members of the public and increase awareness of the UNCRPD, NCSS set up a website to collect pledges from individuals. To date, more than 400 pledges have been made by members of the public to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in Singapore.

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Article by Royson Poh, Senior Assistant Director, Technology & Vocational Training, SPD