Disability Sports Master Plan (DSMP)
The refreshed Disability Sports Master Plan (DSMP) was announced by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), together with the Enabling Sports Taskforce (ESTF). The refreshed plan will enhance access to sports and create more opportunities to forge deeper connections and drive greater inclusion through a total of 10 strategic moves.
The DSMP has made good progress since it was first launched in 2016. There are now more opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in sports, including a range of sports programmes introduced in schools and the community, such as learn-to-play programmes (e.g. “Yes! I Can”, “Play-Ability”), weekly recreational programmes, and “Intro a Sport” programmes. To date, some 55,000 persons with disabilities have taken part in these disability sports programmes. The DSMP has also contributed to an increase in the sports participation rate among persons with disabilities, from 28% in 2015 to 46% in 2023.
In support of the Enabling Masterplan 2030 and to build on the foundations of DSMP 2016, existing strategies have been updated to better support persons with disabilities in sports participation and aspiring para athletes in their pursuits towards sporting excellence. The 10 strategic moves for DSMP 2024 focus on three key strategic themes, with partnerships being a key enabler:
a) Increase accessibility to disability sports programmes and activities;
b) Enhance awareness of disability sports and inclusive sports activities;
c) Fulfill aspirations of persons with disabilities who desire and have the potential to do sports at the high performance level
DSMP 2024 was announced by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the Singapore Disability Sports Awards 2024. Minister Tong said, “We have revised the DSMP to realise our vision for a sporting environment in Singapore that not only accommodates differences but also celebrates them. The DSMP is thus aimed at building a Singapore where people of all abilities will be able to engage in sports, be enriched through sports and be empowered by sports. And for those who can soar in a high performance competitive arena, to support them as much as possible to realise their aspirations.
In this way, the revised DSMP is more than being just about sports; it is about charting avenues through sport, to create opportunity, drive accessibility and inculcate inclusivity, creating a significant and lasting impact on society.”
The strategic moves took in feedback and suggestions from a series of engagements conducted over the past year by the Enabling Sports Taskforce (ESTF), with 850 stakeholders involved, including persons with disabilities, caregivers, educators, social service agencies, community partners, athletes and coaches.
The ESTF is led by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Social and Family Development, Mr Eric Chua, and comprises representatives from disability sports organisations, public sector, as well as individuals.
Through the DSMP 2024, we hope to achieve the following by 2030:
a) Raise participation in disability sports to 70%;
b) Sustain podium success and increase the number of para athletes and sports represented at major Para Sports Championships and Major Games; and
c) Increase awareness to build a cohesive society through inclusive sports
Strategic Theme I: Increase accessibility to disability sports activities and programmes
a) Increase number of regular participants in disability sports programmes from 3,200 today to about 5,400 by 2030
To provide more opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in sports, 70% more spaces will be created in regular disability sports programmes by 2030, from 3,200 regular participants today to about 5,400 by 2030. These programmes include SportSG’s Play-Ability and ‘Yes! I Can’ programmes, and sports programmes offered by the Para Sport Academy, Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), Special Olympics Singapore (SOSG), and Deaf Sport Association (DSA).
Every special education (SPED) school will be encouraged to appoint a coordinator who will work with SportSG and relevant SPED teachers to recommend sports opportunities from various community partners to students and their caregivers based on the students’ strengths and interests.
b) Expand opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in school and community sports programmes and competitions
Access to school- and community-level competitions for persons with disabilities will be enhanced by including more parallel or inclusive sports events into existing platforms. This will build on recent efforts by SportSG in 2024 to introduce unified categories at Pesta Sukan to enable more opportunities for persons with disabilities to compete in such sports competitions, alongside persons without disabilities. New funding support will also be provided to organise the Special Olympics National Games in Singapore so that more persons with intellectual disabilities can celebrate their sporting talents and competitive spirit.
c) Enhance access to and within ActiveSG sports facilities to support individuals with different disability types
ActiveSG sports facilities will be enhanced so that persons with different disability types will find them accessible. For example, all ActiveSG Sport Centres will have a calm room by the end of 2030, starting with a pilot calm room in each zone by the end of 2025. Other ways to better support individuals with different disability types will also be explored, including the provision of adequate disability-friendly washrooms, as part of ActiveSG Sport Centres’ rejuvenation plans.
Strategic Theme II: Enhance awareness of disability sports and inclusive sports activities
a) All mainstream schools to conduct programmes for students to experience disability sports by 2028
To promote understanding and build awareness of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities when doing sports, all mainstream schools will conduct at least one disability sports-related programme by 2028 through co-curricular activities (CCA), Sports Education Programme, Values in Action experiences or other forms of school activities. This will be an increase from the current 30 to 35% of mainstream schools that offer such opportunities.
b) Increase outreach of Play Inclusive to enable more persons with disabilities to play sports together with the wider community
To build greater awareness of inclusive sports, SportSG, SOSG and SDSC will scale up Play Inclusive competition by more than doubling its event outreach from 1,200 participants today to 3,000 participants by 2030. This will enable more persons with disabilities to play sports with unified partners and engage in more meaningful interactions amongst persons of all abilities.
c) Improve reach of stories of persons with disabilities doing sports through different stakeholders and channels
To inspire more persons with disabilities to participate in sports, agencies such as MCCY, SportSG and SG Enable will continue to profile stories of persons with disabilities who do sports regularly. These would include para athletes who have flown our flags high in regional and international competitions, as well as persons with disabilities who overcome challenges to benefit from doing sports regularly, caregivers who support persons with disabilities in sports, and persons with disabilities who found friendship through sports.
Strategic Theme III: Fulfill aspirations of persons with disabilities who desire and have the potential to do sports at the high performance level
a) Establish a National Training Centre for para sports as part of Home of TeamSG
The Kallang Alive Master Plan galvanises efforts to build a new home for our Team Singapore athletes in Kallang. The new Home of TeamSG will house the National Training Centre for para sport, with dedicated training facilities to meet the needs of selected para sports. This will integrate our sports ecosystem and further unleash the potential of our athletes regardless of their abilities.
b) Establish Para Sports Community Hubs to expand sporting opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in sports, and also at the pathway and high performance level
To grow the base of aspiring para athletes, SportSG will set up Para Sports Community Hubs (PSCHs), with five PSCHs to be piloted across the island by end 2024 and more to be established by 2030. The PSCHs, which have facilities prioritised for para sports, will serve as focal points to engage sports enthusiasts and newcomers to disability sports. The PSCHs will be located in ActiveSG Sport Centres across Singapore to cater to convenience and accessibility.
c) Grow competencies of coaches in disability sports and support personnel’s expertise in high performance disability sports
To grow coaching capabilities, competencies of coaches in disability sports and support personnel’s expertise in high performance disability sports will be enhanced. The number of registered coaches under the National Registry of Coaches who can coach persons with disabilities will more than double from about 120 today to 300 by 2030 across the participation, pathway, and performance levels.
Partnerships as a key enabler for disability sports
d) Launch a new Enabling Sports Fund with a targeted $10 million by 2030 to support disability sports initiatives
To encourage innovation and strengthen collaboration across different aspects of disability sports, a new Enabling Sports Fund will be launched in 2025 to encourage impactful community-initiated disability sports initiatives, with a target to raise at least $10 million by 2030.
SPS Eric Chua, Chairperson of the ESTF, said, “Sport empowers persons with disabilities to realise their potential and aspirations, and provides a platform to build a more inclusive Singapore. Through the engagement sessions with many stakeholders, I am heartened to hear many useful ideas that can further strengthen our sporting ecosystem for persons with disabilities. The strategic moves outlined in DSMP 2024 represent yet another step forward in achieving our shared vision where persons with disabilities are engaged, enriched, and empowered through sports.”
A steering committee which will be chaired by SPS Eric Chua will be set up to oversee the implementation of the strategic moves under DSMP 2024. More details will be released next year.
The full report on DSMP 2024 can be found at go.gov.sg/dsmp2024
