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HDB to consider ramps for homes with multiple steps at entrance

SINGAPORE — Ramps that can be used for flats with two or three steps at the entrance will be studied by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to provide greater barrier-free access to homes.

HDB blocks in Singapore. TODAY file photo

HDB blocks in Singapore. TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE — Ramps that can be used for flats with two or three steps at the entrance will be studied by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to provide greater barrier-free access to homes.

Currently, under the HDB’s Enhancement for Active Seniors (Ease) programmes, Singaporean households with elderly family members can opt for home improvements such as slip-resistant treatment for floor tiles, grab bars and ramps, individually or as a package.

Since it started four years ago, it has benefited about 90,000 households, and installing ramps was “quite a popular option”, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong told the media during a community visit to Kebun Bahru.

At the same time, Mr Wong noted that the ramps in the current programme only cover flats with a single step, which leaves some families like Ms Zhang Bixian’s in a lurch.

While visiting her home on Sunday (July 24), Mr Wong learnt that her father had recently suffered a severe stroke, leaving him unable to talk and walk.

Ms Zhang, who also lives with her elderly mother, brother and sister-in-law in a three-room flat, said one of her main concerns is about how to bring her father in and out of the house without a ramp when he gets discharged from hospital.

Price is also a consideration, and the 31-year-old business development manager hopes that they will not have to pay more than S$300 for a ramp, as the family might face further financial constraints if they need to hire a caregiver.

Designing a suitable ramp is also not without its own challenges.

“The space is quite tight, and if you put a ramp over two or three steps, it can be quite a sharp gradient,” said Mr Wong. “If you have a gentler gradient and it goes into the corridor, you have obstruction issues and fire safety issues.”

As to when residents can expect this to be offered under the Ease programme, Mr Wong said HDB is in the midst of working out a solution that also accounts for considerations such as cost effectiveness and manageable maintenance.

Currently, families who apply for Ease pay between S$125 and S$312.50 for the three improvements, with the Government subsidising up to 95 per cent of the cost, depending on the flat type.

“HDB is doing a study of this presently, and once we’ve identified a good solution, we hope to expand the Ease programme so it can cover solutions like this, and more residents can benefit,” added Mr Wong.

As for the total number of flats with multiple steps that can expect to benefit from this, the HDB said more details will be released in due course.

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