Meeting of the Parliament 18 March 2014
I thank the members across the chamber who signed my motion and who are here this evening. I welcome to the gallery those from Down’s Syndrome Scotland.
In many ways, this is a timely debate because it acknowledges the important date of 21 March as the United Nations world Down’s syndrome day and recognises that it is Down’s syndrome week from 17 to 23 March 2014.
The charity Down’s Syndrome Scotland provides support and services to people with Down’s syndrome. It recently won the public choice award at the Scottish adventure awards. It is vital that Parliament raises awareness of Down’s syndrome among the wider public and looks at the approach so that the quality of life for everyone with a learning disability is improved.
Down’s syndrome affects approximately 20 per cent of the learning-disabled population and is the single biggest cause of learning disability. The chance of a woman conceiving a child with Down’s syndrome increases with age, but 80 per cent of children with Down’s syndrome are born to women who are younger than 35. Nearly one in every 1,000 babies who are born in Scotland will have Down’s syndrome. The charity Down’s Syndrome Scotland thinks that more work should be done on screening and maternity care, so that people can make informed decisions.
The thrust of this week’s campaign is about people living their lives to the full and achieving their full potential. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about Down’s syndrome. Life expectancy has increased significantly over time, and there are people with Down’s syndrome who are 60 and older. Down’s is a lifelong condition, which cannot be cured, but it is vital that we recognise that many children who have the condition attend mainstream education. The campaign is essential in offering serious balance as it engages with wider public perceptions about Down’s syndrome.
Adults with Down’s syndrome can and do live independently and are productive in the workforce, although in the current economic climate it remains difficult for people with the condition to find employment. The contribution of people with learning difficulties is not in doubt, but more needs to be done to encourage employers to take people on. It is clear to me that a lack of employment can only erode the confidence of people with Down’s syndrome, especially younger members of society. It is important that the Scottish Government considers how to make apprenticeships more accessible to young adults with Down’s syndrome.
Down’s Syndrome Scotland offers valuable support to families in central Scotland. Its central Scotland branch, which is based in Falkirk, is organising an open day at Grange community centre on Saturday 22 March. Members, carers, parents and siblings will no doubt be present that afternoon.
Much more can be done. The recent changes in the welfare benefits system have not been helpful, to put it mildly. No doubt tomorrow’s budget will bring more of the same, with more caps on benefits. Current changes have meant that individuals are required to do more to prove their incapacity, and many parents do not think that that is a useful approach for people who are born with a condition such as Down’s syndrome. We should remember that behind the welfare cuts are human faces.
Through Down’s Syndrome Scotland’s communication skills project, which is being evaluated by the University of Strathclyde, communication skills workshops have been set up in Edinburgh, Glasgow, East Kilbride, Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness and Orkney, providing support to 84 families. I recognise the good work that Down’s syndrome charities are doing throughout central Scotland and beyond. Such work relies on funding being available for services and organisations that help and support families. We should ensure that services are maintained and that the best possible opportunities are offered to people in Scotland who live with Down’s syndrome.
A number of people in Scotland who have Down’s syndrome play an active part in society. There are people who have moved through the education system and who have even been elected to represent their communities. If they are given skills and opportunities, many people with Down’s syndrome can play an active part in society. The Minister for Children and Young People told me that she recently visited the Ups and Downs Theatre Group, which is based in Motherwell but performs in Hamilton. I know that many individuals with Down’s syndrome get involved in acting. I also know that the Chryston and district pipe band’s pipe major has Down’s syndrome.
There is nothing to stop people with Down’s syndrome becoming actively involved in their communities. It is wider society that prevents many of those people from playing an active role. As I said earlier, it is the perceptions among many members of the public that hinder those individuals. As a society, we have to think about how we treat people with Down’s syndrome and how we give them the opportunity to play a full role in society.
I reiterate the point that I made about employment opportunities. I make a plea to the minister about the opportunity for people with Down’s syndrome to get apprenticeships to allow them to move into full employment. As I indicated, some individuals who have been diagnosed with Down’s syndrome are living to 60 and beyond, and they can play an active role in society. We have to move forward and recognise that we should give them every opportunity to participate in society.
It is significant that Glasgow will hold the world Down’s syndrome congress in 2018. I hope that everyone in this chamber, and everyone who is listening to this debate, will take forward the case for ensuring that individuals with Down’s syndrome do not feel persecuted, are not held back and are given every opportunity to move forward.
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