Down Syndrome Australia

Missed the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health's first-ever conference last month? You can now watch all the session recordings! The conference highlighted the Centre's important work and shared valuable insights into intellectual disability health. Watch the recordings here: https://buff.ly/4dZ5GnS Who should watch? Anyone involved in the healthcare of people with intellectual disability, including healthcare professionals, support workers and carers. The Centre’s next conference will be in May 2025. Stay tuned for details.

At DSA, some of our favourite projects focus on working with the community to support people to grow skills and confidence. One of these projects has been Pathways to Independence, which has provided workshops for over 1,000 people with Down syndrome. The Pathways project has also created online workshops and information videos that are available on the DSA website. Read all about the Pathways project and the great videos and online workshops here:

Amazing job opportunity with the Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health! 🎉 Down Syndrome Australia is proud to be a founding member of the Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. We call it 'The Centre.' 😁 The Centre is recruiting for part-time project workers who have lived experience of intellectual disability. You can read more about this great job and apply here:

🩺 Meet Emily Porter from Victoria, one of our valued Health Ambassadors. Emily is a lovable and caring lady with a great sense of humour. She adores children and babies, which is perfect since she has 7 nieces and nephews. Family is everything to Emily, and she is deeply devoted to her husband, Michael. Emily enjoys staying fit by going to the gym, swimming and walking. She also manages her own household bills and budget, a responsibility she took on at 24. In 2021, Emily spoke at Parliament House in Canberra to help launch the Health Ambassador Program for DSA. About DSA’s Health Ambassadors DSA Health Ambassadors are people with Down syndrome who teach healthcare professionals how to better understand and communicate with people with Down syndrome, ensuring they are included in their healthcare conversations. Interested in learning more about our Health Ambassadors? Click here: https://buff.ly/3T08QQg #DownSyndromeAwareness #DownSyndromeAdvocate #DownSyndromeAustralia #IncludeMe #Inclusion #InclusionAustralia #InclusionForAll #InclusionMatters #InclusiveCommunity #InclusiveOpportunities

Did you see our spotlight on health care in the DSA newsletter? 🤓 If you receive our monthly newsletter (out today!) you might have seen this article that talks about great projects happening in health care to support people with Down syndrome. Learn about research initiatives and national projects - like the Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability. We also include information on the new Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. Read about the Comprehensive Health Assessment Process (CHAP), Multidisciplinary Care initiatives, and how health data is managed in Australia. Finally, we've included information on DSA's health projects - including our health ambassadors, resources, health apps and more! https://buff.ly/3ZincPv Make sure not you don't miss the latest news - sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://buff.ly/4edIt10

📣 Voice Story Spotlight: Meet Colby Hickey! In the latest edition of Voice, he talks about his experience going to university and overcoming challenges related to his learning capacities. This edition of Voice features people with Down syndrome who are breaking down barriers and proving what they can do. Read Colby’s story and more here: https://buff.ly/3y58csZ #EndTheStereotypes #Voice #DownSyndrome #DownSyndromeAustralia #BreakingDownBarriers #DisabilityRights #InclusionAustralia #Inclusion

Have you heard about CHAP? 🧐 CHAP stands for: Comprehensive Health Assessment Process (CHAP) tool. CHAP is a tool used for annual GP health assessments for people with Intellectual Disability. There are free versions for adults and young people! It includes questions focused on health conditions common in people with Down syndrome. CHAP is a great example of an evidence-based health project working to support and improve health outcomes. It is supported by the Department of Health, and continues to be improved by the Government. Find out more about CHAP here:

Congratulations to the Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health for running their first-ever Annual Conference! DSA is proud to be a founding consortium member of the Centre, and was delighted that some of our Health Ambassadors were able to speak at the conference! Well done to Olivia who helped MC the conference and Naomi who gave a presentation on Inclusive Health Care. 🎉 To find out more about the Conference and watch recorded sessions visit: https://buff.ly/4dELUh6 You can also read more about the great work of the Centre of Excellence, including: research, improving clinical expertise, and improving health services that support people with intellectual disability: https://buff.ly/3Mp8iiA

🩺 Meet Caitlin Woolley from Tasmania, one of our valued Health Ambassadors. Caitlin is a kind, hardworking and creative. She loves having fun and sharing good food with her friends and family. Sushi is her favourite! Caitlin enjoys watching movies, especially Harry Potter, and stays fit by swimming. Since starting as a Health Ambassador with DSA, Caitlin has met many new and interesting people. In March 2022, her Raise Your Voice speech was presented by Mr. Andrew Wilkie MP in Parliament. About DSA’s Health Ambassadors DSA Health Ambassadors are people with Down syndrome who teach healthcare professionals how to better understand and communicate with people with Down syndrome, ensuring they are included in their healthcare conversations. Interested in learning more about our Health Ambassadors? Click here: https://buff.ly/3T08QQg #DownSyndromeAwareness #DownSyndromeAdvocate #DownSyndromeAustralia #IncludeMe #Inclusion #InclusionAustralia #InclusionForAll #InclusionMatters #InclusiveCommunity #InclusiveOpportunities

Want to work with Down Syndrome Australia? 🤩 DSA is on the hunt for a new Advocacy and Policy Officer. We are looking for someone who loves writing, policy analysis and is a big picture thinker! As part of you're role you'll get to work alongside people with Down syndrome, including our awesome ambassadors and self-advocates. Time is running out to apply to be part of our advocacy team - applications close Friday!⏰