On 7 April 2025, the Building and Construction Authority (“BCA“) announced that:
- Finalised Code: Following its public consultation (“Consultation“) on the proposed draft Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2025 (“Code“) conducted from 30 December 2024 to 27 January 2025, the Code has been finalised.
- Purposes: The enhanced requirements in the Code will: (i) enhance the inclusivity of the Code; and (ii) address the current gaps and the future needs of persons with disabilities (“PWDs“), the elderly and young families.
- Transitional period and applicability: These enhanced requirements will apply, from 1 November 2025, to building works for which the first set of plans are submitted to the Commissioner of Building Control for regulatory approval on or after 1 November 2025. This provides a grace period of over six months for industry professionals to incorporate the enhanced requirements.
The Code provides the baseline standards for making buildings accessible to PWDs and other users, and is regularly reviewed to ensure that its standards meet changing population needs. The enhanced Code will be a significant step towards creating a more inclusive Singapore for PWDs, the elderly and young families, with the key improvements summarised as follows:
- Wheelchair users:
- Improving barrier-free interconnectivity: (i) all key building entrances linking to neighbouring buildings, commuter facilities, park connectors, and covered walkways to be wheelchair-accessible; and (ii) priority for shelter to be built for accessible routes.
- Enhanced provisions for accessible lifts: (i) larger lift cars to accommodate personal mobility aids; and (ii) enhanced requirements for lift control buttons and mirror surfaces.
- The elderly:
- Increased provision of toilet cubicles with grab bars.
- Mandatory resting areas at drop-off areas.
- Safer ramp designs with colour bands replacing tactile indicators to minimise tripping.
- Families with young children:
- Increased provision of lactation rooms in large public buildings and workplaces.
- Lactation room requirement for educational institutions.
- Standardised specifications for lactation rooms, with minimum size requirements and essential fittings such as electrical sockets for breast pumps.
- Persons with visual impairment: Standardised tactile ground surface indicators at stairs to aid navigation.
- Persons who are hard-of-hearing: Enhanced signage for hearing enhancement systems (“HES“). An HES that operates with telecoil must incorporate the “T” with the symbol of access to inform persons who are hard-of-hearing to activate their telecoil function.
Further, the enhanced Code has been streamlined and reorganised in a more reader-friendly manner for built environment industry stakeholders. It also includes anthropometric information of wheelchair users and other PWDs. This provides clearer visualisation of the physical and spatial requirements for different users, thus enabling architects and designers to make more informed decisions when planning accessible spaces.
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