More wheelchair- and elder-friendly features - such as ramps, larger lifts and more seating areas - must be provided in new buildings under accessibility updates to the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) regulations.
Lactation rooms at educational institutions will also be mandatory, the BCA said on April 7 at the launch of its latest Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment.
The new regulations will take effect for building plans submitted from Nov 1. Existing buildings undertaking addition and alteration works will also be subject to the new regulations, which will not be applied retrospectively.
Under the updated code, all key building entrances linking to neighbouring buildings, transport facilities, park connectors and covered walkways must be wheelchair-accessible and sheltered.
Ms Judy Wee, executive director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore), who was part of the review committee for the code, said she noticed several places where staircases were sheltered, but ramps were not.
"When there's a downpour, wheelchair users will get stuck. If the staircase is sheltered, the ramp should also be sheltered," said Ms Wee, who is a wheelchair user.
Lift cars must also be large enough to fit personal mobility aids. Lift control buttons and mirrors must be placed low enough so that wheelchair users can reach the buttons easily and the mirrors can help them navigate when reversing out of the lift.
Ms Wee said these changes will be useful as wheelchairs, such as motorised ones, are getting bigger and longer.
For the benefit of seniors, buildings must provide seating areas at drop-off points and more toilet cubicles with grab bars, BCA said.
The proportion of such toilet cubicles must be increased to one such cubicle for every four toilets, up from every five toilets.
Dr Tim Xu, an associate professor of occupational therapy at the Singapore Institute of Technology, said more seating areas will go a long way to help seniors go out of their homes.
"A lot of seniors require a lot of breaks, especially those with poor physical endurance. Providing such seats for them to rest allows them to go out more confidently and engage with more social activities," said Dr Xu, who was also on the review committee.
More lactation rooms will also be provided for nursing mothers in places like shopping malls, offices and business parks. Educational institutions must also have such rooms - this was not previously required.
For persons with visual impairment, tactile features must be placed at the top and bottom of staircases to aid navigation, said the authority.
This is the sixth revision to BCA's code since its introduction in 1990.
The review committee, which was formed in September 2023, included representatives from social services agencies, industry stakeholders, academic institutions, government agencies and interest groups.
With a grace period of more than six months before the new regulations take effect, industry and building professionals will be able to incorporate the updated requirements in their plans, BCA added.
Ms Sunita Dass, a council member of Singapore Institute of Architects who was on the review committee, said architects who have existing building plans will need to consider the available space in designing accessible features.
But she said that it is not "so drastic that you'll need to review the entire design", adding that the code allows for innovation in design, so architects have greater flexibility.
BCA said owners of existing buildings who want to upgrade their buildings with accessible features can tap its Accessibility Fund, which subsidises the construction cost for accessibility and other design features, which include lactation rooms and wheelchair-accessible lifts.
The $40 million fund was launched in 2007. It gives up to 80 per cent of the construction cost for basic accessibility features, and up to 60 per cent of the construction cost for universal design features, capped at $300,000 per development.
As at March, 160 private building owners have utilised the fund to retrofit their buildings with accessibility features. Around $20 million of the fund is still available.
