I was delighted to welcome Down’s Syndrome Scotland to the Scottish Parliament last Thursday (20th March). The charity, which supports people with Down’s Syndrome, their families and professionals, held an information session for MSPs to highlight Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week (17th to 23rd March 2014) and the United Nations World Down’s Syndrome Day (Friday 21st March).
The charity supports many families throughout the country and this event was a chance for us all to learn more about their Family Support Service and new projects like the Communication Skills Pilot that started this year.
The event was a great opportunity to discuss the interests and concerns of people with Down’s Syndrome. Kim Scott, who has Down’s syndrome and is a speaker for Down’s Syndrome Scotland, talked about her work with the charity which was a particularly inspiring example of how people with Down’s syndrome can work and do their job well if given the opportunities to do so.
People with Down’s syndrome have a right to be listened to just like any other constituent and I believe that as a society we should do more to engage with people with learning disabilities and their carers. Down’s Syndrome Scotland provides much-needed support to many and I wish them all the best in the future.”
Pandora Summerfield, Chief Executive of Down’s Syndrome Scotland, said: “This information session at the Scottish Parliament is a great opportunity to raise awareness of Down’s syndrome. By informing MSPs about the condition and about our services, we want to ensure that the interests of our members are not forgotten in political debates.
As a charity, we are committed to helping our members reach their full potential. Through our work, we know that issues like speech therapy, welfare, employment and dementia are major causes of concern to people with Down’s syndrome and their families. These are important topics that need to be discussed. Improving knowledge of Down’s syndrome is key to our mission. We look forward to organising similar events in the future, including hosting the World Down Syndrome Congress 2018 in Glasgow.”
Siobhan McMahon for Central Scotland 