With dedicated disability spaces and truly accessible cities, Singapore is a must- visit destination for people with disabilities
Recently, my travels took me to Singapore where I attended the Zero Project Asia Pacific Symposium to speak on accessible tourism. I last visited this amazing city over 20 years ago and was eager to see how it had changed. I was not disappointed! It is a modern, multi- cultural vibrant metropolis that has iconic landmarks and world-class infrastructure.
Singapore prides itself on being one of most accessible cities in Asia, but accessibility goes far beyond ramps and elevators. True accessibility is about inclusion, a seamless experience for everyone, regardless of ability.
Travelling
It started with the airline. Singapore Airlines have excellent assistance service for persons with disabilities both in the air and at the airport. I was assisted to the adapted bathroom during the 10-hour flight by caring and attentive crew.
The facilities at Changi International airport are really inclusive with access to all areas, even the fantastic Jewel which extends over 10 storeys with accommodation, gardens, retail outlets, restaurants and airport facilities that connect to all the airport terminals via accessible trains. I made time to visit this phenomenal space before my departure flight home.
My transfer from the airport to the Mecure Singapore Bugis hotel was booked with one of the many accessible transfer companies and I chose the vehicle with a hoist so that I didn’t have to transfer out of my wheelchair. The Metro and busses are all accessible, which makes travel easy and cheap.
Accommodation
There is an amazing website that has been developed by Yong Sock Law of Ludus Lab and his colleagues which offers comprehensive information on all aspects of accessible life in Singapore. The Mecure Singapore Bugis hotel that I was booked into was not on his list. The hotel stated that there were accessible rooms, but had not put any photos on their website.
I had to e-mail them to ensure the layout and shower facilities are truly accessible before I booked. Fortunately, the reservations team were very quick to respond with the photos and I was able to make my reservation without much trouble.
The Garden City
Singapore is often referred to as the “Garden City” as there is plenty of greenery throughout, but also because of the iconic Gardens by the Bay – a 105-hectare botanical garden park situated
Home to over 1,5 million plants, this national garden and horticultural attraction presents the plant kingdom in a whole new way with plants species ranging from cool and temperate climates to tropical forests and habitats.
From the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Floral Fantasy, Garden Pos and Art sculptures to the Supertree Observatory, you will be enthralled at these areas.
You also have a spectacular overview from the OCBC Skyway, which is suspended between two Supertrees at 22 metres above the ground. The 128-metre-long walkway offers a wonderful overview of the Gardens. There is even an app that you can download to optimise your visit.
Sensoryscape in Sentosa
Sentosa Island is the playground of Singapore. Linked to central Singapore by causeway, tunnel, boardwalk, monorail and cable car, and home to hotels, beach bars and a casino, it is the main destination for leisure and entertainment with the Universal Studios, Madame Tussauds, Skyline Luge Sentosa, S.E.A. Aquarium and Adventure Cove water park.
You can also try your hand at kayaking, fishing and cruising or tour the historic Fort Siloso. The Sentosa Sensoryscape experience combines sight, sound, smell and touch to create a truly immersive and memorable journey through the nature and art through interactive installations.
Whether you want to go for a relaxing day on the beach, a fun filled weekend, or just a five-hour tour with accessible guides, this is certainly a “must do” to add to your itinerary when visiting Singapore.
Dedicated Accessible Spaces
Our conference was held at the SG Enable Village, which is run as a registered charity. They enable persons with disabilities to live, learn, work and play within an inclusive society and create equitable opportunities though leadership, social innovation and impactful partnership.
Open to the public to move through, the village boasts an inclusive accessible kindergarten, swimming pool for learning to swim and the Pet Café, which employs people with disabilities to groom pets and serve customers.
My favourite place is a fantastic tech hub called Tech Able, which is an interactive centre for people to test various assistive technologies from wheelchairs to advanced devices. I came away with so many fantastic ideas of technology to include in our disability sector!
Tour guides with disabilities
We had an amazing full-day city tour with three different guides with various abilities, starting at the city centre with our guide who was hearing impaired and used the text-to- speech option.
We were all issued earpieces and small microphones which converted our voices into text on his phone when we wanted to ask questions.
This was fantastic for me as I had to wander away a few times to watch them erecting the stands and barricades for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix (which was happening just after I returned home!), and was still able to hear what was being said about the historic sites.
After ice cream and a visit to the iconic Lion in Marina Bay, we boarded a bus to Little India where we had lunch and a tour before heading to Little China with a guide who had a mobility impairment. These are the older areas of the city.
From here we used the Metro to visit the public housing area where we met our third guide. We were able to visit Yong Sok’s personal apartment within this area, which has wide walkways, parks, restaurants and shops below the apartments.
It was a whirlwind trip for me, but I made so many new contacts that I’m definitely going to be returning to visit this safe, clean, beautiful and accessible place. Happy Travels!
