The President, Mrs McAleese, paid tribute to the work of the Down's Syndrome Association of Ireland in changing the public perception of people with intellectual disabilities. She was speaking at the association's 25th anniversary celebrations yesterday.
Mrs McAleese, a patron of the association, said it could "feel a justifiable pride" in the part it had played in the development of services to people with intellectual disabilities. "People with Down's syndrome form the largest single group in this area, and as such the work of the association is of great importance."
Social integration, she said, was a two-way process, requiring a willingness on the part of people with disabilities to reach out into the community with the proper support and encouragement. "It also demands that the community become more conscious of the need associated with disability, and involves a commitment to undertake whatever changes are necessary to facilitate integration."
Mrs McAleese said she had visited a number of groups involved in this area and found especially heartening "the belief, which you all seem to share, in the unique dignity and potential of the individual".
A service of thanksgiving was held yesterday at St Stephen's Church in Dublin. It was attended by families from all over the State, with readings by children and young people with Down's syndrome.