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Ascott Launches Holistic Disability Inclusion Playbook for Accommodation Sector, Setting New Hospitality Benchmark

  • Written by Media Outreach
  • One of the world's first open-access playbooks providing hospitality operators with a holistic, practical framework to embrace disability inclusion
  • Supported by SG Enable, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and Valuable 500 and reviewed by nearly 20 disability inclusion experts globally
  • Company announces global disability inclusion commitments, including standardised accessibility profiles for all properties, frontline disability awareness training and reporting on the hiring of persons with disabilities starting 2026
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 November 2025 - The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), has launched the Disability Inclusion Playbook for the Accommodation Sector. As one of the world's first open-access, holistic disability inclusion playbooks, it sets a new benchmark for inclusive hospitality. Developed by Ascott in partnership with disability inclusion specialists Colorful Earth, it is supported by SG Enable (Singapore's focal agency for disability and inclusion), World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (a global coalition driving sustainability in hospitality) and Valuable 500 (a global non-profit of over 500 multinational corporations advancing disability inclusion). image
(Back row) Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development & Ministry of Law was the Guest-of-Honour at the launch ceremony for The Ascott Limited’s Disability Inclusion Playbook for the Accommodation Sector. He was flanked by Ms Lee May Gee, CEO, SG Enable (left) and Ms Beh Siew Kim, Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, Lodging, CapitaLand Investment (right). Featured with them were contributors to the playbook (front row, from left) Mr Isaac Liang, Mr Ryan Yap and Ms Alethea Lew.
Offering guidance across five key pillars of disability inclusion – Inclusive Training, Spaces, Hiring, Digital Interfaces and Programmes – the playbook empowers accommodation providers of all sizes to deliver welcoming and inclusive stay experiences from pre-arrival to departure, while fostering inclusive hiring and training practices. It addresses the diverse needs of travellers with disabilities, covering areas such as governance and strategy, collaboration with the disability community, barrier-free infrastructure, accessible programmes and function-specific training. The playbook's launch event took place at Citadines Science Park Singapore, officiated by Guest-of-Honour Mr Eric Chua, Singapore's Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Law. He said: "A truly inclusive society that strengthens the quality of life for persons with disabilities is a whole-of-society effort. I am glad that like-minded partners such as Ascott have come onboard, and welcome more to join us. Together, we must work together to build a more caring and inclusive Singapore." Ascott's Disability Inclusion Commitments At the launch, Ascott announced a comprehensive set of disability inclusion commitments, structured around the playbook's five-pillar framework:
  • Starting from 2026, at least one Ascott property in every country where it operates will host a community programme dedicated to disability inclusion. The company will also begin reporting on the hiring of persons with disabilities in its annual sustainability reports. Every property will feature a standardised accessibility profile detailing room features, measurements and accessible transport options, empowering guests to make informed booking decisions. Currently, around 60% of Ascott's operational properties already provide accessibility information, with plans to transition to a standardised template and extend it progressively across the remaining properties.
  • By 2027, 100% of Ascott's frontline associates globally will have completed disability awareness training. To date, over 100 associates in Singapore and Australia have been trained to create welcoming stay experiences for guests with disabilities.
  • By 2028, all guest-facing digital platforms will meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA accessibility standards, ensuring a seamless and inclusive online experience. Ascott's booking website, DiscoverASR.com, already complies with these standards, with its Ascott Star Rewards mobile app next in line.
Ms Beh Siew Kim, Chief Financial and Sustainability Officer, Lodging, CapitaLand Investment, said: "We are honoured to launch the open-access Disability Inclusion Playbook for the Accommodation Sector, a practical resource developed in close collaboration with disability inclusion experts and informed by our global hospitality operations. The playbook will guide Ascott's disability inclusion efforts across our global portfolio of more than 1,000 operational and pipeline properties in over 40 countries, and we welcome other operators to join us in this collective...

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