Employment advocacy We are working with our global network advocating for people with Down syndrome to gain paid employment in open, inclusive and accessible environments. The context People with Down syndrome, and other intellectual disabilities, have the right to work on an equal basis with others. However, stereotypes, mistaken assumptions, negative attitudes and lack of knowledge are preventing them from realising their right to employment. There is a pressing need to address these issues and to uphold their right to work by facilitating and promoting work opportunities for people with Down syndrome across the world and to thereby improve their life circumstances and quality of life. What we've done so far. We developed and published a case study on best practices related to the employment of persons with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, with a focus on Bangladesh. We also recruited 5 self-advocates with intellectual disabilities to work with us to develop webinars on best practices related to the inclusive employment of persons with intellectual disabilities. Read and watch here: INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT CASE STUDY AND WEBINARS We supported member organisations in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Bangladesh to work with self-advocacy groups of persons with Down syndrome to advocate for inclusive employment. We provided training on human rights and self-advocacy, supported 3 of the organisations to establish self-advocacy groups and then provided guidance as they planned employment advocacy work. Advocacy work has already started in Bangladesh and will be starting soon in the other 4 countries. Read about these projects here: EMPLOYMENT ADVOCACY - AFRICA EMPLOYMENT ADVOCACY - BANGLADESH What's next? We will be supporting the organisations in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda to start engaging in employment advocacy activities soon, with all activities led by self-advocates with Down syndrome. We are also going to support all 4 countries to research and write a case study on best practices related to the employment of persons with intellectual disabilities, similar to the one from Bangladesh. We will be using learning from the projects in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda to support our member organisations worldwide to advocate for the inclusive employment of persons with Down syndrome. We will also continue to influence global work on the employment of persons with disabilities through our membership of the International Disability Alliance's Inclusive Livelihoods Task team. We are starting a new webinar series soon, with Question and Answer sessions with persons with Down syndrome from around the world who have jobs or run their own businesses. Project updates We would like to share information and updates from our employment work with you. From supporting individuals with Down syndrome and organisations to advocate for inclusive employment, to helping employers hire people with Down syndrome. Please sign up here: SIGN UP FOR PROJECT UPDATES Our work: Employment Read more about our employment work here: EMPLOYMENT Manage Cookie Preferences