Disability support for students with special educational needs at institutes of higher learning in Singapore: a historical perspective to developments in education policy

Quality education and lifelong learning is highly valued in Singapore. With improved disability support for learners with special educational needs and disabilities, increasing numbers complete their secondary schooling and wish to continue into post-secondary education. Countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) have a more extended history of legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities, inclusive education at tertiary level and a more extensive research base. In contrast, limited research has been conducted in this field in Singapore. This article explores the historical background to education policy, and the interpretation of these policies for the education and support of learners with disabilities at publicly funded universities in Singapore. Data collection comprised historical and current local policy documents, parliamentary records collected from Hansard, and information collated from university websites. Criterion sampling methods were used to collect documents to focus on shifts in education policy over time. Gateway webpages relevant to disability support offered to students were gathered from university websites in Singapore to gain an understanding of the interpretation of education policy. Findings reveal the Singapore government’s historical reluctance to be directly involved in the provision of educational assistance for people with disabilities. Whilst there have been changes over the last two decades and disability support is gradually improving, information on university websites remains inconsistent, meagre and could even be considered invisible. University websites need to provide more in-depth information to encompass a range of special educational needs and disabilities. There is also a need to collect data to ensure policy and support are appropriate to student needs.