The issue of accessibility is increasingly relevant to Singapore as we expect the number of people with mobility difficulties to increase over the years. An accessible environment will allow our elderly residents to maintain their independence, as we strive towards a more inclusive society. To prepare ourselves for an ageing population, the Ministry and BCA worked closely to introduce a Code on Barrier Free Accessibility in Buildings in 1990, subsequently renamed to Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment, with the aim of making our buildings more user-friendly for people with mobility difficulties. The latest Code, reviewed by a tripartite working committee, was launched in July 2019.
There remains a large stock of pre-1990 buildings that are still "inaccessible", and therefore a 10-year Barrier-Free Accessibility (BFA) Upgrading Programme (2007-2016) had been put in place to support the upgrading of these buildings.
To encourage private sector participation, a $40-million Accessibility Fund has been set aside to upgrade buildings built before 1990 which are not BFA-compliant.