The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THEY were one of the forgotten groups of Irish society; let down by the third level education and the health system. For years, young adults with Down Syndrome (DS) had nowhere to go, once they completed training schemes with voluntary organisations like the Brothers of Charity. There was no properly structured strategy or adequate funding to help the majority of young people with DS secure meaningful employment. They were left to their own devices, in a frustrating limbo with nothing to do. Two years ago, the Clare branch of Down Syndrome Ireland became one of the first groups in Europe to introduce the first comprehensive literacy programme for young people with Down Syndrome entitled Latch–On Literacy and Technology Hands-On. For the first time, young adults with an intellectual disability were included in an evidence-based, multimedia literacy programme in a post-secondary environment, using computer technology to enhance literacy, self-confidence, independence and employment opportunities. Pioneered by the The University of Queensland, Australia, this …
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