WRS And NCSS In Joint Collaboration To Extend Free Admission For People With Special Needs

March 26, 2010 - PRLog -- Singapore, March 15, 2010 – As part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) collaborated with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) to extend free admission to its parks for persons with special needs and seniors with dementia who are holding the NCSS Developmental Disability Registry (DDR) Identity Card.  

All 2,000 DDR ID cardholders from 88 programmes run by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) will be able to visit WRS’ three parks – Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo. Up to two accompanying caregivers will also enjoy 20% discount off admission.  

WRS is the first organisation to collaborate with NCSS to extend free admission to its parks throughout the year for persons with special needs and seniors with dementia issued with the DDR ID cards. WRS operates under the principle that its parks are accessible to everyone living in Singapore. As such, prior to this scheme, WRS accorded free admission to its parks for VWOs catering to people with special needs.  

"WRS is pleased that the collaboration with NCSS has come to pass. We have strived to be an all inclusive organisation to cater to the different sectors of the local community by putting in place necessary infrastructure for residents with disabilities. In 2006, Singapore Zoo introduced Braille interpretives to 10 of its most popular exhibits; Night Safari has in place audio interpretives, and all our three parks are wheelchair accessible," said Ms Fanny Lai, Group CEO, Wildlife Reserves Singapore.  

Enhancing the Lives of Persons with Special Needs

"NCSS proactively works with VWOs, the community and corporate partners to identify the needs of persons with special needs to help them integrate into society and live independently.  We are pleased that WRS shares this common goal and has been a supportive partner in bringing about this incentive to a special group of people in our community.  We hope more organisations will join us in enhancing the lives of persons with special needs," said Ms Fatima Mustafa, Deputy Director, Service Development Division, NCSS.  

NCSS urges persons with special needs and seniors with dementia to register for a DDR ID card through their VWOs and agencies to receive appropriate intervention when the need arises and to enjoy the cost savings offered by partners of the benefit schemes.

The DDR ID card serves as a form of identification and captures useful information like the contact details of the VWOs and next-of-kin.  In July last year, NCSS launched the DDR ID card benefit scheme to provide cardholders access to services and facilities at affordable rates.  Please refer to Annex A for more information.

Launch of Initiative

To mark the launch of the programme, WRS will be hosting 10 DDR ID cardholders and their accompanying minders to the Night Safari for dinner at Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant and a tour of the park this evening.

ABOUT WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) is the parent company of award-winning attractions Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo. WRS parks strive to be world-class leisure attractions, providing excellent exhibits of animals and birds presented in their natural environment for the purpose of conservation, education and recreation. In 2009, Jurong Bird Park served 900,000 visitors, the Night Safari, more than 1.1 million visitors and Singapore Zoo welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors.

WRS parks are the first zoological institutions in Southeast Asia to achieve both ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications, which indicate compliance with the highest standards in environment, health and safety standards.

In the areas of conservation and research, WRS parks have undertaken multiple projects, which focus on species such as the oriental pied hornbill, pangolin and orang utan, through collaborations with various organisations and institutions. Recent conservation efforts include hosting a regional Asian pangolin conservation workshop. All WRS parks are designated wildlife rescue centres by the governing authority.
WRS office is located at 80 Mandai Lake Road Singapore 729826. More information can be found at www.wrs.com.sg

ABOUT NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) is the umbrella body for about 400 member Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) in Singapore.  Its mission is to provide leadership and direction in social services, to enhance the capabilities of social service organisations, and to promote strategic partnerships for social services.  In FY2008, $178 million was disbursed to 602 programmes in the social service sector.

Annex A

NCSS piloted the DDR ID card initiative in 2002 and subsequently extended it to include persons with disabilities and seniors with dementia.  The DDR is an electronic system used by VWOs to document and manage user information effectively. To-date, about 2,000 DDR ID cards have been issued.  In July 2009, NCSS launched the DDR ID card benefit scheme to provide cardholders access to services and facilities at affordable rates.  Currently, there are 16 corporate partners onboard the benefit scheme. For details on the DDR ID card and the full listing of participating companies, please log on to
http://www.ncss.org.sg/social_service/DDR_IDcard.asp

For more information visit http://www.nightsafari.com.sg