SINGAPORE, Jan 13: Singaporeans today are more accepting of people with disabilities as part of the community, workplace and everyday life.

This is according to findings by the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) which conducted a nationwide survey to gather the public's perception towards people with disabilities.

The study, which mirrors an earlier one conducted in 2009, is part of the Society's on-going 'I Accept' campaign which aims to encourage the public to accept people with disabilities as equal members of society.

A total of 904 respondents, aged between 15 and 65 took part in the initiative.

It consisted of both street and online surveys conducted from end-November till end-December last year.

The findings revealed that there is a considerable improvement in the public's perceived barriers in communicating with people with disabilities.

25.3 per cent of the respondents say they think it is harder to communicate and deal with people with disabilities than non-disabled people, compared to 43 per cent in 2009.

There is also a significant decrease in the number of people who feel people with disabilities are dependent on others - from 47 per cent in 2009 to 13.4 per cent in the 2011 polls.

53.1 per cent of those surveyed felt people with disabilities should be accompanied by a non-disabled person when going out to public places.

This is a slight fall from the 66 per cent polled in 2009.

Ninety-three per cent agreed that more can be done to help people with disabilities on public transportation in Singapore.

Ninety-six per cent also expressed the need for more members of the public to give way to people with disabilities while entering lifts and boarding trains.

Nearly 80 per cent of 61 respondents who are in a position to hire are open to employing people with physical disabilities.

SPD's president Ms Chia Yong Yong, said: "Besides generating awareness and greater acceptance of people with disabilities in major areas such as employment and education, we hope to also cultivate graciousness in the public's everyday encounters with people with disabilities such as showing a little more patience, giving way and lending a helping hand.

"It is heartening to see improvements in the level of receptiveness towards people with disabilities amongst Singaporeans, and we do hope to see this trend continue, and to see more people with disabilities integrated and included in our mainstream society."

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com