Latest news with #intellectualdisabilities
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
In pictures: Breaking barriers through art
An exhibition opened this week to showcase the artwork of talented artists from the neurodivergent community or with intellectual disabilities. RTÉ broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan officially opened the 2025 Connecting Artists Exhibition at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in Dublin. Our pictures show them displaying their creative talents as many proud family members and friends look on in the hallowed surroundings of the RCSI's wood-panelled College Hall, with its high decorative ceiling and Minstrel's Gallery. The contemporary artists' framed works were placed on easels around the hall, their modern styles in striking contrast to the traditional portraits on the walls. READ MORE The show marks the culmination of an intensive 10-week mentoring programme delivered by Connections Arts Centre. Now in its fourth year, the programme supports creative development and visibility for the artists involved. The exhibition remains open until 3pm today (Saturday). Entry is free, but advance booking is recommended to secure a spot. The nine artists involved this year are: Rachel Connell; Martin Carolan; Claudia Williams; Evan McLoughlin; Marta Soltysek; Pamela Kavanagh; Bearnard Durnin; Ava Lawlor and John Heavey. Artist Evan McLoughlin from Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Artist's from left; John Heavey from Rathmines, Dublin, Rachel Connell from Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, Claudia Williams, Newport, Co Tipperary and Pamela Kavanagh, Lucan, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Artist Martin Carolan from Lucan, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Artist Rachel Connell from Castlepollard, Co Westmeath with her brother Daniel and mother Deirdre Clogher. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Artist Rachel Connell from Castlepollard, Co Westmeath. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Forbes
6 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Supporting Older Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Growing Imperative For Leaders
Karen Fonseth is Chief Executive Officer of DASCH Inc., one of Canada's largest nonprofit organizations. People with intellectual disabilities, such as those with Down syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, have historically had shorter life expectancies than the general population, but data from a Population Reference Bureau study found that the gap is shrinking. Thanks to improved medical care and early diagnoses, the study shows that between 2008 and 2017, the lifespan gap between adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those without narrowed by about two years. Because of this amazing shift in life expectancy, the number of adults with intellectual disabilities is rising. Now, anyone who lives a longer life is more susceptible to common aging issues like dementia, mobility loss, chronic illness and social isolation. But for folks with intellectual disability, that complexity can multiply. A 2022 Canadian survey reported that more than 27% of adults have a disability, and adults aged 50 to 64 with intellectual disabilities have higher rates of conditions like sarcopenia and low bone density. That means early intervention and aging‑friendly planning cannot wait. Why Leaders Must Act Now The stakes are high for organizations supporting this population. When parents age or pass away, the absence of a formal care plan can trigger crisis placements in ill‑prepared nursing homes or hospitals. Recruitment struggles and staff burnout intensify without sufficient training to reinforce continuity. Leaders must challenge the disability support sector to redesign models so they are aging‑ready and rooted in both intellectual disability expertise and geriatric best practices. To meet this need, DASCH partners with the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG). Their training framework, adopted across Canada and the U.S., focuses on dementia recognition, consistent staffing strategies and family engagement. Staff are trained to understand nonverbal cues, manage challenging behaviors and provide consistent care. On average, a person with an intellectual disability will interact with 500 to 600 different support staff throughout their life—a level of churn that deeply erodes trust and continuity. Without an intentional focus on aging and well-trained support staff, adults with intellectual disabilities risk being overlooked at the very moment they need the most support. What Disability Support Leaders Can Do Today 1. Invest in dementia‑specific training. Partner with trusted experts like NTG to equip staff and families with early detection and response skills. 2. Prioritize staff retention and consistency. Spend time and attention on onboarding and training. Hold refresher sessions at regular intervals. 3. Create integrated adult‑day and residential programs. Promoting social connection and services like nutrition, therapy, and literacy enhances quality of life and may reduce chronic illness progression. 4. Plan ahead with families. Encourage families to engage early in estate and guardianship planning. Have a clear housing strategy to avoid crisis transitions. 5. Advocate for funding that values longevity. Support public policy that recognizes the higher needs of aging adults with intellectual disabilities and that reimburses care aligned with best practices. Dignity Through Every Stage Of Life The shift in conversation is unmistakable. Two decades ago, dementia among people with intellectual disabilities was dismissed as part of their condition. Not anymore. A growing body of research and evolving support models prove informed support raises quality of life and safeguards dignity. Leaders in the disability support sector have an obligation to evolve from reactive crisis interventions to proactive, full-lifespan support, enabling people to age in place. At DASCH, we believe the people we serve deserve nothing less than care that honors their whole life story. We owe it to them and their families to build systems rooted in dignity, respect and continuity. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Japan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
People with intellectual disabilities create election dictionary
A group of people with intellectual disabilities in Japan has created and published an online dictionary for teaching others about election-related terms and the steps to vote. With Sunday's election for the House of Councilors — the upper chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament — drawing closer, in-person and online study sessions have been held using the dictionary. The 236-page "Senkyo no Kotoba" (terms of election) dictionary contains about 170 election-related terms, such as "the right to vote," "candidate" and "democracy," and the voting procedure is explained in hiragana letters in principle.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
N.S. group aims to build better futures for people with intellectual disabilities
Better Futures is a non-profit that empowers members to participate in their community at large. A Lower Sackville, N.S., group is helping people with intellectual disabilities form a tight-knit community and learn important skills. 'Building Futures is a day program where we support people with intellectual disabilities by helping them finding ways to contribute to society,' said program manager Lara Abramson. 'We do that through a number of different programs.' The group was officially incorporated as Anchor Industries Society in 1991 before changing to Better Futures Employment Society in 2012. It offers social enterprise programs for people with intellectual disabilities, including meals and catering, a print shop, assembly and a monthly market. 'We sell products that are made by our participants,' Abramson said. Abramson noted the programs are important for participants as they allow them to make vital connections. 'Building Futures is important to the people we support because they find a built-in community,' she said. 'We're here to help them recognize their potential and all the things they can do.' Building Futures Building Futures helps people living with intellectual disabilities. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- The Guardian
Bodies of two men in dilapidated Sydney house could have been undiscovered by roommate for weeks
The decomposing bodies of two men found inside a dilapidated terrace on a busy inner Sydney street could have gone undiscovered by their roommate for several weeks, police have said. On Thursday afternoon, Eleanor Barker, 63, made a welfare concern call to police about one of her tenants. She has owned and lived at the Cleveland Street property in Surry Hills since the 1980s, and rented it out to the two men for at least a decade. Officers arrived at the property about 2pm on Thursday and located the body of a man inside the house, police said. A crime scene was established, and a short time later, a second body was found in a separate room. Both men, aged in their 70s and 80s, were believed to have died in the house at different times within the past month, NSW police said, but how and when wasn't known. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email NSW police hoped autopsy results would progress the investigation. Detectives have spoken to Barker. Guardian Australia is not suggesting that she was involved in the men's deaths. Guardian Australia understands police don't suspect any foul play and are unlikely to lay charges. Police tape was wrapped over the fence on Friday afternoon. Behind it, faded tinsel drooped over the front door. Clutter filled the yard: an upturned bicycle, a walker, a succulent sprawling out of an upturned watering can. The residents of the terrace, who had intellectual disabilities but lived independently, were well known in the neighbourhood. Neighbours often saw Barker, 63, riding her motorised scooter up and down the street and drinking beers at the nearby Crown hotel. The two men spent less time out of the house but were known to sit on the porch and drink longneck Victoria Bitters in the sun. While neighbours on both sides of the property had seen Barker in recent days, they hadn't seen either of the men for at least three weeks. Neighbours said the house had been slowly descending into disrepair in recent years. One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, has lived on the street for about six years and got to know Barker via her 'firing her buggy down the street every morning'. He was out on the street yesterday afternoon when the police arrived. 'I was just out doing my hard rubbish and suddenly there's four ambulances, 10 cop cars, forensics all overnight, it was pretty full on,' he said. He estimated it had been three weeks since he had seen the men, but he said he saw Barker most days. 'The older guy would hang out on the front step and drink beers,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Neighbours, who had been inside the house, said the rooms were filled with clothes, piles of furniture, rats and mould. Across the road, neighbours, whose windows back on to the property, said they had never seen the tenants in the garden. They thought the house was abandoned. Mitchell Morri lives a few doors down and often used to come across the elderly men on the street or on their porch. 'It's quite a sad situation due to the living arrangements there, and the fact it seems that they've passed away in the house,' he said. 'They were both really nice. I've only met [Barker] once, but it seemed like everyone knew her. She was quite friendly.' Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said one of the men was non-verbal, but he often communicated with the other male and Barker. 'I saw him three weeks ago, walking down the street,' he said. 'He was quite slow – he didn't look well. 'The house has been deteriorating badly lately, and we've had a few issues in the past six months – rats were climbing into our attic from their house, which is falling apart.' 'I woke up in the middle of the night last night because you could hear police inside next door. It was actually really horrible; it gave me anxiety. 'It's such an awful way to die. All alone.'
