About Down Syndrome South Africa (DSSA)

Down Syndrome South Africa (DSSA) is an umbrella to 12 regional associations or parent groups. The total national membership is at present more than four thousand families from both urban as well as rural areas in the country. The main centres, namely Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town have over many years served thousands of families with support services and home programmes. Most of the work is still being done by parents on a voluntary basis.

OUTREACH PROGRAMME

Through the committment of DSSA to establish outreach programmes in all provinces of the country, the number of member families in rural disadvantaged areas who are receiving support from the organization is substantial. Important progress has been made in most of these areas where we have Outreach groups providing important support and services to disadvantaged families.

In practice it happens that not only children with Down Syndrome receive services from the regional associations but also many other children with some form of intellectual disability or cognitive impairment.

ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING

Over the past few years the organization has become an important advocacy movement for the recognition of the rights of persons with Down Syndrome and their families. We have over the past few years contributed to the legislative processes around the South African Schools Act, the National Integrated Disability Strategy, the Bill on Skills Training, the Sterilization Bill, the Child Care Act and the Report of the National Commission on Special Needs in Education and Training and the UN Convention (2007) on the Rights of Disabled People.

TRAINING

An important component of DSSA activities has been to empower peopple with Down syndrome and their families. This has been done through various training programmes such as 'New Parent Support', 'Inclusive Education', Inclusive and Supported Employment', and more recently the training of 19 young adults with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilites from branches on Self Advocacy. This has enabled people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities to stand up and speak for themselves about their rights as well as assist them to set up their own groups in their areas and discuss issues which effect their lives. CONTACT US ON 0861-369-672 or email: dssaoffice@icon.co.za