Our Purpose

We envision a world where persons with disabilities are empowered and thriving in inclusive communities.

We work with our partners to create opportunities for persons with disabilities to make the most of their abilities and participate meaningfully in society. Through practical education, meaningful support and effective training programmes, we strive to increase the quality of life for them and their families.

Registered as a charity in 1992, Rainbow Centre is an Institution of a Public Character.

Vision

Beyond disabilities: empowered and thriving in inclusive communities

Mission

We are committed to enhancing the quality of life of persons with disabilities and their families through:

  • Providing person-centric programmes and services to enable them to achieve their fullest potential;
  • Leading innovation and developing capabilities that better support their needs and aspirations;
  • Advocating and engaging partners and the public to co-create an inclusive community.

Values

We respect the intrinsic and unique worth of every individual, and serve with compassion and dedication to discover, build, and celebrate the ability of each person. We act with integrity and achieve through the synergy of teamwork between staff, families, and the communities that support our mission. We pursue innovation to strive for excellence in services for persons with disabilities, to maximise potential and create opportunities to thrive in community.

Our People

Board of Governance

(2020-2022)

President
A/P Kenneth Poon

Vice-President
Mr Chew Kei-Jin

Honorary Treasurer
Ms Cindy Ho

Honorary Secretary
Mr Milton Ong

Past President
Mr Yew Teng Leong

Committee Members
Mr Alban Kang
Mr Damien Tan
Ms Evangeline Chua
Prof (Dr) James Hui
Dr Kenneth Lyen
Mr Kevin Leong
Prof (Dr) Lee Eng Hin
Dr Majeed Khader
Dr Sylvia Choo

School Management Committee

(1 Dec 2020 – 30 Nov 2022)

Chairman
Mr Milton Ong

Supervisor
A/P Kenneth Poon

Honorary Treasurer
Ms Cindy Ho

Secretary
Ms Michelle Ong

Committee Members
Dr Majeed Khader
Mr Damien Tan
Ms Fauziah Ahmad
Prof (Dr) James Hui
Ms Jessica Wee
Mr Louis Lim
Ms Tan Sze Wee

Ministry of Education Representative
Mrs Lisa Goh

RC Leadership Team

Adult, Family & Accessibility

Mr Manoj Pathnapuram
Director, Accessibility Services

Ms Christy Lee-O’Loughin
Director, Good Life Services

Children & Youth

Ms Fauziah Ahmad
Principal, Admiral Hill School
Advisor, OOSH Special Student Care Services

Ms Michelle Ong
Principal, Margaret Drive School

Ms Jessica Wee
Principal, Yishun Park School

Early Childhood

Ms Janice Leong
Deputy Director, Early Intervention Services

Development & Innovation

Mr Quincy Tan
Director, Development and Innovation

Corporate Services

Ms Tan Sze Wee
Executive Director

Mr Sampson Low
Director, Finance and Operations

Mr Josh Lye
Deputy Director, People & Culture

Ms Jean Loo
Deputy Director, Advocacy and Community Engagement

Press Releases

PRISM: An Art Exhibition to Commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial and Fundraise for Rainbow Centre’s Third Campus

24 Sep 2019

24 September 2019
PRISM: An Art Exhibition to Commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial and Fundraise for Rainbow Centre’s Third Campus Through a glass prism, light diffuses to a rainbow of colours. Through this exhibition, we glimpse into the colourful young minds of Rainbow Centre’s student artists.Rainbow Centre is launching a three-week art exhibition in commemoration of Singapore’s bicentennial. Thirty carefully curated pieces will be displayed and be available for purchase at the East Garden Gallery, The Fullerton Hotel daily from 9-28 November 2019. The gallery is open round the clock.

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$600,000 Raised for New Rainbow Centre Campus for Students with Autism at Charity Golf Event

27 Sep 2018

27 September 2018
$600,000 Raised for New Rainbow Centre Campus for Students with Autism at Charity Golf Event
Rainbow Centre (RC) organised a charity golf to raise funds for its third and newest campus on 27 September 2018. When completed by 2022, the purpose-built campus at Admiralty Link will be able to serve up to 300 students aged 7-18 years old with autism. The new campus aims to provide a conducive environment for students to learn, gain independence and grow interdependently alongside their communities. The first batch of 65 students started classes at an interim campus at Marsiling Lane this year.

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An Inclusive Space for Serious Coffee and Meaningful Interactions

5 May 2018

5 May 2018
An Inclusive Space for Serious Coffee and Meaningful Interactions
Rainbow Centre’s (RC) newest space, Seeds Cafe, offers an inclusive space where the public and people with disabilities can mingle meaningfully.Beyond its specialty coffee, tasty food offerings and inviting decor, the cafe champions community efforts to build an inclusive, interactive space for everyone by bringing together members of the public, students with disabilities and caregivers. The cafe’s Seeds Market, held on the first Saturday of each month, features activities that promotes interaction between the public and persons with disabilities.

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Launch of Service to Equip Parents Facing Persistent Challenging Behaviours in Children and Youths with Autism

26 Mar 2018

26 November 2018
Launch of Service to Equip Parents Facing Persistent Challenging Behaviours in Children and Youths with Autism
Rainbow Centre (RC) launches the Family Empowerment Programme (FEP) to support parents and caregivers of students with autism with persistent challenging behaviours on 26 March, 2018. The FEP goes beyond the usual practice of working with the client in school and clinic settings. Our therapists and psychologists work with caregivers in their homes to equip them with skills and resources to manage current and potential future challenging behaviours of their child.

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Rainbow Centre Celebrates 30th Anniversary With New Look and New Services

18 Nov 2017

18 November 2017
Rainbow Centre Celebrates 30th Anniversary With New Look and New Services
Rainbow Centre celebrates its 30th anniversary on 18 November 2017 at its new extension wing at Margaret Drive. The celebration features the launch of its new vision, new logo, refreshed student and staff uniforms, as well as a musical produced collaboratively by partners, volunteers, staff and students. As Rainbow Centre enters into its next lap, it looks forward to better serve the community with new innovative spaces, a third school campus, and new services to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families.

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RC in the News

New initiatives for passengers with dementia or other invisible disabilities launched at Changi Airport (The Straits Times, 2 Feb 2022)

3 Feb 2022

Fewer than two in 10 – or 15 per cent – of students who graduate from special education schools go on to
mainstream post-secondary schools, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

This means that about 5,100 out of the current 6,000 students who are studying in special education schools
now are unlikely to continue their studies in junior colleges, polytechnics or the Institute of Technical
Education after they leave school at the age of 18.

Some 35 per cent will join the workforce, while the rest will go to sheltered workshops that train and provide
job opportunities for those who are not ready for open employment, spend their time at day activity centres or
remain at home.

read more

Pre-school teachers learn to help kids with special needs (The Straits Times, 2 Dec 2020)

3 Feb 2022

Fewer than two in 10 – or 15 per cent – of students who graduate from special education schools go on to
mainstream post-secondary schools, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

This means that about 5,100 out of the current 6,000 students who are studying in special education schools
now are unlikely to continue their studies in junior colleges, polytechnics or the Institute of Technical
Education after they leave school at the age of 18.

Some 35 per cent will join the workforce, while the rest will go to sheltered workshops that train and provide
job opportunities for those who are not ready for open employment, spend their time at day activity centres or
remain at home.

read more

How to Help People with Autism? It Starts by Just Being a Friend. (CNA, 25 Dec 2020)

28 Dec 2020

Fewer than two in 10 – or 15 per cent – of students who graduate from special education schools go on to
mainstream post-secondary schools, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

This means that about 5,100 out of the current 6,000 students who are studying in special education schools
now are unlikely to continue their studies in junior colleges, polytechnics or the Institute of Technical
Education after they leave school at the age of 18.

Some 35 per cent will join the workforce, while the rest will go to sheltered workshops that train and provide
job opportunities for those who are not ready for open employment, spend their time at day activity centres or
remain at home.

read more

Kids at Rainbow Centre Meet the President (The Straits Times, 11 Nov 2020)

11 Nov 2020

Fewer than two in 10 – or 15 per cent – of students who graduate from special education schools go on to
mainstream post-secondary schools, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

This means that about 5,100 out of the current 6,000 students who are studying in special education schools
now are unlikely to continue their studies in junior colleges, polytechnics or the Institute of Technical
Education after they leave school at the age of 18.

Some 35 per cent will join the workforce, while the rest will go to sheltered workshops that train and provide
job opportunities for those who are not ready for open employment, spend their time at day activity centres or
remain at home.

read more

Wall of Art at National Gallery Singapore (The Straits Times, 4 Aug 2020)

4 Aug 2020

Fewer than two in 10 – or 15 per cent – of students who graduate from special education schools go on to
mainstream post-secondary schools, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

This means that about 5,100 out of the current 6,000 students who are studying in special education schools
now are unlikely to continue their studies in junior colleges, polytechnics or the Institute of Technical
Education after they leave school at the age of 18.

Some 35 per cent will join the workforce, while the rest will go to sheltered workshops that train and provide
job opportunities for those who are not ready for open employment, spend their time at day activity centres or
remain at home.

read more

Our History

  • 1987

    The Singapore Council of Social Service (SCSS) started Margaret Drive Special School (MDSS) with a Programme for Children with Multiple Handicaps (PCMH), and took over the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Young Children (EIPIC) from MINDS.

  • 1989

    MDSS became the first special education school to introduce a programme for children with autism from 2 to 12 years old.

  • 1992

    Rainbow Centre was established. MDSS became autonomous from the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and came under the umbrella of Rainbow Centre.

  • 1995

    Rainbow Centre started BSS to cope with the increasing number of children on our waiting lists. The school was later renamed as Rainbow Centre – Balestier School (RCBS).

  • 2000

    The Preschool Integration Enhancement Programme (PRiEP) began to provide training and professional support to pre-school centres with children with special needs. Now known as Rainbow Centre Training & Consultancy (RCTC), it supports professionals working in the social service, public and corporate sectors as well as caregivers.

  • 2004

    Rainbow Centre and Autism Resource Centre (ARC) jointly started Pathlight School. Pathlight School is now fully run by ARC.

  • 2007

    Ngee Ann Polytechnic collaborated with RCTC to develop the new Advanced Diploma and Certificate in Early Childhood Intervention (Special Needs) courses.

  • 2013

    The programme for students with autism is extended to complete at 18 years old, providing a seamless educational programme leading to vocational training.

  • 2017

    Launch of a new logo and refreshed vision and mission statements to express Rainbow Centre’s enduring commitment to help persons with disabilities to be empowered and thriving in inclusive communities.

  • 2018

    • Opening of Seeds Cafe, a community space to foster greater inclusion.
    • Opening of OOSH, a before and after school care service, at the Margaret Drive campus.
    • Rainbow Centre’s third campus, Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School (Woodlands), receives its first batch of 39 students at its interim site at 11 Marsiling Lane. The campus caters to students with autism.