’90pc of adults with Down syndrome were not in paid employment and that was a scary prospect’ – meet the team behind groundbreaking cafe
by LaurMarieK95
’90pc of adults with Down syndrome were not in paid employment and that was a scary prospect’ – meet the team behind groundbreaking cafe
by LaurMarieK95
2 comments
Very proud to say my brother works for the together academy. He has been in adult special needs services for over 13 years and hasn’t been given an ounce of training despite him always expressing his willingness to work and my parents sharing this ambition for him as well. He joined this academy last year and has blossomed. He’s more confident, is independent, trustworthy and has matured. He gets paid and now has the fulfilment that he deserves and has craved for years.
As a sibling, I find it concerning a service provider has been receiving funding for my brother 13 years yet he never received an ounce of training and when we’ve questioned this we’re blocked out.
Together academy was set up because a parent seen the above happening with service providers and wanted a better outlook for not only her child but for other adults with Down syndrome. He has been with the together academy just a year and has come on leaps and bounds compared to the 13 years with his service provider.
Disability services and their funding need a dramatic overhaul.
There’s a chain of cafes in the Netherlands known as Brownies & Downies. Most of the staff have Down Syndrome, and visiting this cafe was one of my fondest memories of the country. It would be great to see these types of cafes become more popular in Ireland.