EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR the adults with Down syndrome that we support, with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic.
Face to face teaching came to an abrupt end and 96% of employees that were on our Ability Programme were placed on temporary lay-off.
Down Syndrome Ireland’s (DSI) Ability Programme has been working to break down barriers and provide people with Down syndrome access to meaningful employment opportunities.
We do this through a mixture of bespoke adult education and direct links with employers around the country. Partnership initiatives aim to secure long-term employment for adults with Down syndrome across a broad range of sectors.
Our programme was going from strength to strength at the start of this year, with over 60 people in employment. We had a vast amount of plans, huge employment opportunities & partnerships in the pipeline.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 changed all of that. Not only were the majority of our students temporarily laid off, the pandemic also had a huge impact on fundraising which is affecting long-term planning for the future of our employment programme.
Continue reading Aoife’s opinion piece on the Journal.ie.
