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SINGAPORE : More help has been given to people with disabilities in Singapore as part of the Enabling Masterplan.
Giving an update in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon said there are two additional Early Intervention Programmes for Infants and Children (EIPIC) centres, bringing the total to 11.
The capacity has also been increased from 1,000 to 1,400 places, and the average waiting times for such programmes have also been reduced from 9 months to 4 months.
An EIPIC Support Grant worth S$3.6 million was also set up to make sure every child has access to appropriate early intervention programmes even if the child's family is less well off.
To date, about S$343,000 has been utilised. The ministry will ensure such services are kept affordable and accessible.
Mrs Yu-Foo was responding to questions from MP for Jalan Besar Denise Phua.
She added that since the Open Door Fund was set up in May 2007 to allow companies to claim up to S$100,000 to redesign the workplace to employ the disabled, 115 disabled persons have been employed.
On residential care, she said there is no immediate need to build new homes as the present combined capacity is 950. Some 720 disabled adults and children now live in such homes.
Still, the ministry along with the National Council for Social Service are assessing the capacity that will be required post-2011. - CNA /ls
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