Ong Hua Han
Singapore
“Thank you, Chair. I would like to thank Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua for addressing most of my cuts and also for all he has done to uplift PwDs. I have just one clarification for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary.”
“Madam, in my Budget debate speech, I highlighted the need to take more active steps to enhance community integration, through recreational sports.”
“This can be done through awareness training for both employers and employees. Such training helps address common misconceptions around neurodivergent conditions. It also offers a platform to facilitate open discussion on potential workplace adjustments that can both accommodate neurodivergent employees and play to their strengths.”
“Just as we know to call 995 for medical emergencies, mental health helplines should be easily accessible through the app, to connect users to professional help immediately. Madam, awareness is also key. Collaboration with mental health organisations and other health apps can gradually expose more people to mental health first aid.”
“MoneySense already promotes financial literacy through online resources and ad hoc talks, and then there are other organisations, such as The Volunteer Switchboard, who partners with corporates to conduct workshops for a select group of ITE students.”
“SEN officers play a crucial role in supporting students with special needs. According to MOE, "the number of SEN officers in mainstream schools has increased from around 450 in 2017 to about 680 as of July 2024".”
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“During the most challenging period of my childhood, I could sustain up to six fractures a year. I was confined at home, often in a cast, when my friends were out there playing in the sun. Needless to say, frequent hospital trips, treatment and surgeries also meant that medical costs were high. Raising children is already a monumental task for most young parents. Caring for children with disabilities adds to the cognitive load. Yet, my parents were unwavering in their care. They are the reason why I have become who I am today. Up until junior college, my father drove me religiously to school and back. My mother made the swift decision to become a full-time caregiver shortly after I was born. During primary school, she accompanied me daily, buying food for me during recess and helping for toilet breaks. She even tried to find ways to enrich my learning, bringing me to art and piano classes, long before it was obvious I had zero artistic talent. Mr Speaker, my story is certainly not an isolated one. Children with disabilities need additional support from their parents. And their parents, in turn, need support from the community, their employers and, ultimately, sound policies. Not all parents have the same ability or resource to do what mine did for me. For struggling parents, finding opportunities to enrich their children's lives can be overwhelming. Some parents come from more difficult backgrounds. Some are single mothers. Some just need a bit more help, some encouragement and support. We need to encourage all parents to look at their child as beacons of potential, despite disability. As assets, not liabilities. Learned helplessness must be unlearnt right from the beginning.”
“They provide enhanced sound quality, crucial for early language development and social communication. While the ATF’s lifetime cap of S$40,000 seeks to account for ongoing costs that could stray well into the tens of thousands, access to ATF is very limited. To be eligible, per capita household gross monthly income must strictly fall below S$2,000. Similarly, there is the Enabling Transport Subsidy (ETS), which subsidises dedicated transport fees. Among others, children with disabilities attending early intervention programmes can benefit. Again, the reach of the ETS is limited. For Singaporeans to access the subsidy, per capita household gross monthly income must be no more than S$2,800. According to Singstat, median per capita household monthly income from work has risen to almost S$3,300 in 2022. This means a typical household with substantial assistive technology and transport expenses would not be supported by these schemes. These families, often with one full-time caregiver, need and deserve help, too. To address this, could we consider revising the income threshold of such schemes to align with median per capita household income? Or, perhaps, look beyond household income as the basic qualifying criteria. May I suggest that we factor in actual costs borne by these families in means-testing? This further calibrates our approach, ensuring that our well-intentioned policies truly serve those in need. Mr Speaker, these are very real issues – issues that, when addressed well, can lead to a brighter future for many young Singaporeans, in turn, benefiting our community exponentially down the road. To share my own personal experience, I was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. This genetic condition gave me brittle bones.”
“Tapping into their growth potential through early intervention ensures greater independence in their later years. Children with disabilities, like all Singaporean sons and daughters, have the same access to the Child Development Account (CDA). They could use the funds in the CDA to pay for childcare centres, kindergartens or even assistive technology like hearing aids. While it is heartening to see an inclusive range of services that caters to most needs, assistive technology can become very expensive very quickly. Cost of living is also rising. Here I pause to ask if MSF can consider more financial support through the First Step Grant or boosting co-matching of the savings of such parents. By enhancing support, we not only ease their financial burden, but also send a strong message to these parents that the Government stands with them, recognises their added challenges and is committed to ensuring that all children have an equal start to life. Today, there are many support schemes available for persons with disabilities. We live in a blessed age and we can be thankful for much. Among these schemes, some use a means-testing approach. This is a good thing – it is sensible to allocate more to those in greater need. While those in extreme circumstances surely benefit, I worry if these schemes place the same support out of reach for many other Singaporeans. Consider the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF). The ATF has the potential to greatly aid persons with disabilities. When used in early intervention, assistive technology offers immense benefits to children with disabilities. For instance, a quality pair of hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars to purchase. And then there are also regular maintenance costs to account for. Yet, their value is undeniable.”
“Mr Speaker, the Child Development Co-savings Act (CDCA) was first introduced in 2001. At that time, Singapore was alarmed with a declining birth rate. The Government had to act. The response? The popularly known Baby Bonus Scheme was born. Its message was clear and unmistakable – to encourage family building and to renew our population. Fast forward to the present, family dynamics have shifted and the Government's response? Key amendments to the CDCA, among them, a decision to double paternity leave from two to four weeks. I wholeheartedly welcome this decision and I support the change. It again sends a resounding message – parental responsibility is a joint effort and not just a mother's duty. This House is no stranger to the undeniable benefits of active fathers and I commend the Government for championing this. It is clear when the Government recognises the changing needs of our society, the Government responds and acts. Mr Speaker, while I applaud the Government's proactivity in addressing our society's changes, there remains still a group of Singaporeans facing additional challenges. This group I am referring to are parents of children with disabilities. They too deserve the attention and response from the Government. Disability is estimated to affect 3% of our population. This means that about 30 newborns out of a thousand live births are born with disabilities every year. Children with disabilities often require more specialised care and incur higher expenses than their peers. Their parents shoulder additional financial, physical and emotional challenges. These are challenges they do not see coming; challenges that affect all income levels. It also goes without saying that the early years of a child are a critical period.”