Over 15,000 turn up for biggest Purple Parade yet to support people with disabilities

SINGAPORE – More than 15,000 people – with and without disabilities – marched side by side at the annual Purple Parade in support of an inclusive, immersive community.

The 2025 celebration on Oct 25 was part of SG60, featuring 60 live performances, 60 carnival booths and more than 30 diverse contingents marching together.

The Purple Parade is a ground-up movement that promotes awareness of the special needs community. It is made up of those with and without disabilities, caregivers, disability organisations, business corporations, public agencies and volunteers.

And for the first time, representatives from all five districts in Singapore marched together as a show of unity.

The march was flagged off in the afternoon from the Fountain of Wealth outside Suntec City, with nearly 1,000 participants, including Central Singapore District Mayor Denise Phua, Tanjong Pagar MP Rachel Ong, and people from over 60 organisations.

For the first time at the Purple Parade, the roads around the Fountain of Wealth were closed to traffic and transformed into “an immersive, inclusive and fully accessible celebration zone”.

The four-hour event included numerous dance and music performances that showcased the talents of performers with different abilities, and carnival booths that raised funds for organisations in the disability sector.

Making a surprise appearance at the event was Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He lauded the Purple Parade as “a vibrant nationwide movement for inclusion and a powerful symbol of our shared values and what Singapore stands for – a ‘we-first society’ where everyone can live with dignity, everyone has a place, everyone belongs, and they will always look out for one another and care for our fellow citizens”.

PM Wong first brought up the concept of “we-first society” during his

National Day Rally of 2025

, saying Singapore must be a people that considers others and not just themselves.

He said then that “if each of us does our part for the ‘we’ – care, contribute and look out for one another – then the ‘me’ will thrive and flourish too”.

Ms Yip Pin Xiu, who co-chairs the Purple Parade 2025 organising committee, told The Straits Times that the parade is not only about raising awareness or celebrating diversity, but also about accepting differences and giving support to those with disabilities and their caregivers.

It can be very challenging for those with disabilities who outgrow their childhood support upon reaching adulthood, she shared.

“So, let us accept diversity as a way of life and grow as the Purple Parade grows. We hope to see improvement and the right support in areas such as the workplace, schools, the arts or even within the community,” she said.

Participants in the march included Ms Lau Ee Wun, 46, deaf artist and a member of the Touch Silent Club, and Ms Joan Hung, 29, a visually impaired athlete and silver award recipient in the Women’s Goalball Event in the Asean Para Games 2022.

Ms Lau, who realised she was deaf at the age of seven when she could not hear what her classmates were saying, said events like the Purple Parade help build empathy not only among able-bodied Singaporeans for their countrymen with disabilities, but also among those with disabilities as they learn about different types of special needs.

“Previously, having a child with disabilities meant stigma and shame. They are kept at home and out of sight. Today, we stand proud in the community,” she said.

Ms Joan Hung (left), a visually impaired athlete, and Ms Lau Ee Wun, a deaf artist, are among those who attended the Purple Parade on Oct 25.

ST PHOTO: JUDITH TAN

Agreeing, Ms Hung said: “With acceptance, Singapore as a society, will have a greater sense of belonging, understanding, and mutual respect.”

In its 13th year, the Purple Parade launched the SG60 celebrations with over 60 community activations across Singapore from September to December to further its inclusive movement, reaching more than 45,000 participants.

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