The need for programmes to attend to the needs of youth with disabilities, especially after completion of their respective school careers, will be an ongoing need. This group of young people needs to be supported, empowered and their skills need to be developed in order for them to become as independent and mainstreamed into society as efficiently as possible. They often have very few or no support systems to help them in making the correct choices in terms of future careers, integration into their respective communities in general, etc.
Breede Valley APD realised that we need to not only cater for the needs of a limited number of youth with disabilities presently utilising our services. We need to achieve significant movement of youth with disabilities presently at home into an independent life in the community.
Through the Youth Development Groups situated in Worcester, Zweletemba, Rawsonville, De Doorns and Touws River, we provide opportunity, guidance and training to 60 youth with disabilities on a daily basis to design, prepare, make and market decor articles, including but not limited to using hand-, needlework- and painting techniques.
We will strive to: prepare youth with disabilities for, and empowering them, to make the correct choices regarding their future; provide youth with disabilities with the support, services and opportunities they need for independent living and a better future; equip youth with disabilities for integration and mainstreaming into society; provide education and skills training; raise awareness amongst youth with disabilities; provide youth with disabilities with relevant information on disability related issues and topics.
PARTNERS FOR LIFE ADULT CARE CENTRE
Through the well-established Partners for Life Parent Support Programme, we were able to do a needs assessment with the carers of children and youth with disabilities and our suspicions were confirmed. There is an overwhelming need for accessible and specialised care services for young adults with profound intellectual disability. Persons with profound intellectual disability require 24 hour support and care. They depend on others for all aspects of their daily lives and have extremely limited communication abilities. Frequently, people in this category also have other physical limitations. In many cases the care of persons with profound intellectual disability at home leads to caregiver burnout and serious neglect of persons with profound intellectual disability.
Through the implementation of stricter guidelines and policies according to the Mental Health Care Act, persons with profound intellectual disability of 18 years and older are no longer able to access Special Care Centre’s as subsidised by the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health and need to be accommodated at home and/or in alternative care facilities. Through the implementation of an adult care centre for young adults with profound intellectual disability, we strive to provide opportunity for specialised care and development, but also to prevent caregiver burnout and the neglect of this vulnerable group of people.
In January 2020, we opened the Partners for Life Adult Care Centre – a first of its kind in Worcester! Currently not subsidised, we do believe in the value this project adds to the lives of young adults with profound intellectual disabilities.
STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMME
The need for programmes to attend to the needs of youth with disabilities, especially after completion of their respective school careers, will be an ongoing need. This group of young people needs to be supported, empowered and their skills need to be developed in order for them to become as independent and mainstreamed into society as efficiently as possible. They often have very few or no support systems to help them in making the correct choices in terms of future careers, integration into their respective communities in general, etc.
BVAPD realised that we need to not only cater for the needs of a limited number of youth with disabilities presently utilising our services. We need to achieve significant movement of youth with disabilities presently at home towards economic independence in their communities.
Youth with intellectual disabilities, especially those staying in more remote and rural communities, are not able to access TVET’s, Vocational Institutes and/or Universities due to their limited cognitive capacity. It is for this vulnerable group that Breede Valley APD would like to offer more accessible and inclusive training opportunities with the aim to prepare them for inclusion in the open labour market and/or entrepreneurship.
Although not necessarily being in the position to offer the youth with disabilities with accredited training, we do believe that we can prepare, equip and advocate more accessible and inclusive training and economic opportunities for youth with disabilities. By adapting training material and workplace exposure to include repetition and adequate tempo and timelines, we will strive to positively impact on the lives of many youths with disabilities currently at home with no dreams for their future.
