In May 2008, 2 DSi Board members undertook a 4 day visit to Libya to meet BG Group Libya (BGL) and the Libyan Down Syndrome Association (LDSA), carrying out an initial needs analysis which involved:
- meeting the key stakeholders including BGL, LDSA, parents and representatives of Education, Health and Social Services;
- observing the LDSA in operation, its activities and its work with people with Down syndrome, their parents and education, health and care professionals;
- taking note of the infrastructure in place and resources available to LDSA;
- analysis of written materials provided by LDSA.
Following the initial visit, general impressions of the LDSA were good in terms of the level and extent of its programming and services. Although much of the focus was on education, the LDSA also provided a range of services including parent support, early intervention and training of support educators and speech therapy, as well as hosting an annual conference and various awareness activities, specifically around World Down Syndrome Day (21st March). Moreover the review team was impressed by the leadership that LDSA had demonstrated in advancing inclusion and human rights for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. Indeed, it was the excellent leadership that had positioned LDSA so well in the Libyan community. The LDSA operated as a distributed model with extraordinary feedback loops that monitored child progress and teacher effectiveness and the collaboration between the LDSA and the education sector was working very well.
Unfortunately, in contrast to the considerable provision and support for people with Down syndrome and their families in the early and school years, there was little in the way of inclusion or independence into mainstream society thereafter, with no record of people with Down syndrome employed in the open labour market. This practice seemed to contradict the hard work that LDSA was doing in preparing their children to achieve their full potential, however the LDSA was aware that life-long programming and opportunity was a significant gap in their work, and they were willing to learn more of such programmes for future development.
The initial review team put forward a number of recommendations ranging from immediate to long term goals as follows:
- LDSA should be offered free membership of DSi;
- representatives from LDSA should be invited to attend and present at the 2009 World Down Syndrome Congress in Dublin, Ireland;
- DSi and LDSA should plan a series of knowledge development seminars to be held in Tripoli;
- DSi and LDSA should initiate a Self Advocacy training program in Libya;
- DSi should seek University partners interested in developing exchange programs with institutions of higher education in Libya;
- DSi should assist LDSA to develop and market educational tools;
- DSI should assist LDSA to develop work programmes;
- DSI should assist LDSA in extending the organisation to other parts of Libya in the form of an outreach program within Libya.
When DSi returned in early 2009, the team initially delivered workshops on the following disciplines:
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Human Rights
- The potential of people with Down syndrome
- Self Advocacy
- Education
- Employment opportunities
- Fundraising and Marketing
Then following feedback from LDSA and lengthy discussions with all the stakeholders, and bearing in mind the excellent progress that had been made by LDSA since the initial visit, the team undertook more bespoke presentations to meet the needs of the people in attendance.
On their return from Libya, the DSi team put together a detailed report setting out a number of Key Recommendations for LDSA, aimed at building on the good work that they had already done and ensuring that they can develop into a robust and informed organisation in the future, providing sound advice and assistance to people with Down syndrome, their families and all other people in Libya with an interest in Down syndrome.
