SINGAPORE: Humming a tune, 21-year-old Cairn Tan lays out packets of snacks in a vending machine at Bukit Panjang Community Club, a routine he enjoys twice weekly with his father William Tan.
The vending machine was a gift from his father, who sees it as a side hustle for his son, who has moderate autism.
“The idea came to me when I saw how he likes to arrange items in the supermarket,” said the 55-year-old education consultant, who had failed to get his son a job at the supermarket.
The vending machine was ideal because Cairn Tan, who graduated from APSN Delta Senior School at 19, does not have to interact with his customers.
The community club is also within walking distance of their home, said his father.
Since the young man started manning the vending machine in 2023, he has gained confidence and picked up new skills, including creating an Excel spreadsheet to track his earnings.
Inspired by his success, parents who want to do the same for their special needs children have approached William Tan for help.
This led him to set up Caresons, a non-profit entity that runs the Vending for Independence Programme initiative.
He leads a team of trainers and volunteers to help neurodivergent young adults start their own micro-business with a vending machine.
The programme aims to empower people with disabilities (PWDs) and their caregivers by equipping them with the skills and opportunities to own, operate and sustain vending machine micro-businesses.
Participants receive both structured training and hands-on, on-the-job learning. This includes practical aspects such as vending machine operations, as well as foundational business skills like planning and cost management.
Those who complete the programme can become training aides to support future cohorts, while caregivers with relevant experience can be buddies assisting families in the setting up of their business.
Each trainee pays S$3,900 (US$3,062), which includes training sessions, consultations and a six-month lease of a vending machine. At the end of the lease period, they can buy the machine for S$1,000.
The programme is supported by the Enabling Lives Initiative Grant funded by the Tote Board and managed by SG Enable. The grant is the only one here dedicated to disability innovation, and it opens for application in July.
Caresons is also developing a playbook to guide future participants who are interested in starting their own vending machine micro-business.
To date, 10 families have joined the programme. Two of these families have found homes for their vending machines – one at a church in Woodlands, and another at a Hougang HDB void deck.
“The purpose is not so much to make money but to give the children a reason to get out of their homes and do something meaningful, and feel good about themselves,” said William Tan.
His son enjoys his work, saying: “Good life equals good health, good relationships and good experiences.”
Many helping hands
His first vending machine was at their condominium estate, where William Tan had bought over an existing machine six years ago.
About three years later, the father-and-son team was told by a new condominium manager to shut down the operation.
When residents caught wind of the situation, some reached out to Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa for help.
Liang called the father to learn more about the situation, and spoke with the condominium representatives, who finally decided to let them continue with the business.
“How often do you get your MP calling you like your regular friend, saying ‘I just got to know about your situation, and there must be something we can do to help’?” William Tan recalled.
After Liang learnt that the plan was for Cairn Tan to own more vending machines, he suggested that the latter place one at Bukit Panjang CC, where he would be charged a non-commercial rate.
Today, after accounting for rent and inventory costs, the young man earns a net profit of about S$300 to S$400 monthly, which he saves or uses to pay for his meals.
Liang said that while there are national efforts to help find jobs for PWDs, many parents prefer their children to work near home.
He started BP Cares, a community initiative, at the end of 2025, which is spearheaded by William Tan and several other residents.
The aim is to make Bukit Panjang an inclusive place where PWDs can find employment, contribute meaningfully to the community, and learn in the process.
Liang also wants to create safe social spaces and interactions for them, such as by having events where they can set up stalls.
The BP Cares team will also support caregivers, such as by referring them to appropriate grants and schemes at the national level.
More than 20 PWDs and their caregivers were roped in by the team to pack Mandarin oranges for Chinese New Year, and they were paid for the work.
“We do not have super-big plans or KPIs. This is a down-to-earth effort to build a supportive ecosystem within our influence and capability,” said Liang.
More PWDs employed
Edward Chew, senior director for SG Enable’s employment and lifelong learning group, said community-led initiatives play an important role in strengthening the broader ecosystem of support for PWDs.
At the national level, SG Enable has expanded its outreach to support more PWDs in their job search, and achieved stronger outcomes in helping them secure and sustain employment.
Between 2024 and 2025, SG Enable supported around 1,320 job seekers with disabilities each year – up from a previous average of 900 annually.
Of these, about 880 secured jobs, with 80 per cent remaining in employment for at least six months.
While the current climate has made the job search more competitive for all job seekers, there are opportunities in sectors where jobs can be redesigned for PWDs, Chew said.
Besides sectors like food and beverage as well as healthcare, there is also growing momentum in hiring PWDs for more specialised roles, with employers such as Micron Technology and OCBC Bank recruiting them for engineering and cyberthreat jobs.
Data from the Manpower Ministry’s Comprehensive Labour Force Survey shows that the median gross monthly income among employed residents with disabilities aged 15 to 64 has grown from over S$2,500 in 2019 to over S$4,000 in 2025.
William Tan hopes to help others like his son find work – one vending machine at a time.
“My appeal is for organisations to open their doors at non-commercial rates to our vending machines,” he said.
Interested caregivers, and organisations wishing to offer placement sites, can contact william@caresons.com - The Straits Times/ANN
