New project to improve support for people with Down syndrome in Ukraine
Together with the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation and the Nordic IT company EDB Business Partner, Down Syndrome Education International has embarked on a major new project to improve support for people with Down syndrome and their families in Ukraine. This three year project will deliver information resources, advice and education services, and will encourage social and political change to improve the lives of the estimated 10,000 people living with Down syndrome across Ukraine.



Down Syndrome Education International has embarked on a 3-year partnership project with the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation and EDB to improve support for people with Down syndrome and their families in Ukraine.



Few babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in Ukraine return home with their parents. Most are confined to baby hospitals and then orphanages.





The Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation is renovating a building where it will base its services.



This Corporate Social Responsibility partnership project will leverage financial support, volunteering and expertise from EDB and its Ukrainian subsidiary company Infopulse



Down Syndrome Education International will provide expert consulting and training services to support the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation develop education and advice services, and information resources




Down Syndrome Education International has agreed a three year partnership project agreement with the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation and EDB Business Partner to provide expert guidance, information and consulting services in support of a three year project that aims to improve healthcare and education for people with Down syndrome and provide better support for their families living in Ukraine. Few babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in Ukraine return home with their parents, and those who do receive limited support. Most children with Down syndrome are confined to baby hospitals and then orphanages. Many die young.

Supporting the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation
Based in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation (UDSO) is a small charity that is working to provide better support for people with Down syndrome and their families. EDB Business Partner is a leading Nordic IT company with significant investments in Ukraine. As part of EDB's commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, DownsEd, UDSO and EDB have developed a partnership project that will leverage financial support, volunteering and expertise from EDB and its Ukrainian subsidiary company Infopulse, and expertise from DownsEd, to help UDSO to expand to provide ongoing support and services across Ukraine.

Sergey Kuryanov, President of the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation, commented "As a father, I know how difficult it is to get knowledgeable healthcare, early intervention and education for children with Down syndrome in Ukraine. Families are encouraged to abandon their children when they are diagnosed. We want to change this. We want to ensure that people understand Down syndrome and that better support is provided. We are very excited to have secured this support from EDB and Down Syndrome Education International. We could not have wished for more supportive or better qualified project partners."

Delivering new services in Ukraine
One of the first goals of the project is to launch parent support and early intervention and education services for families in Kyiv, and advice and information services serving families across the country, later this year. Together with funding recently pledged by the International Women's Club of Kyiv, UDSO is renovating a building from where it will base its services. The Ukrainian charity will appoint a Services Director and professional staff to lead these services in the next few months.

Laxmi Akkaraju, Senior Vice President of Global Sourcing, EDB Consulting Group, commented "EDB aims to meet its social responsibilities through initiatives that are tailored to our core operations - IT - and our primary locations - the Nordic countries, India and Ukraine. We are committed to ‘build competence' at all levels of our community involvement. We believe that this is an area in which we can make a positive contribution not only financially, but also through applying our competence and knowledge to the benefit of society. We are delighted to be working closely with the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation and Down Syndrome Education International to deliver lasting and meaningful social change in the communities in which we work."

Bringing corporate expertise and resources
The project will offer opportunities for in-kind support utilising EDB and Infopulse Ukraine core competencies in IT as well as volunteering from EDB and Infopulse staff to work directly with children, adults and their families in Ukraine.

Andrey Anissimov, Managing Director, Infopulse Ukraine, an EDB Business Partner subsidiary, commented "This is an important project that promises to deliver much needed change for people with Down syndrome in Ukraine and for their families. Infopulse is proud to be supporting this work in Kyiv and across the country."

Expert support to build local capacity
Down Syndrome Education International will provide training and support for UDSO's staff to help them deliver effective, evidence-based services. Over the three years of the project, DownsEd will help UDSO build local capacity and establish itself as a key provider of advice, information and services to people with Down syndrome and their families throughout Ukraine.

Frank Buckley, CEO of Down Syndrome Education International, commented "We are delighted to be able to support this project. We have worked closely with EDB and families in Ukraine to develop thorough plans to deliver improved services that will meet local needs. The Corporate Social Responsibility approach has worked exceptionally well - not only bringing finance, but also expertise and local knowledge from EDB and Infopulse. This has added tremendous value to the project as a whole."

Infopulse staff provided advice and local expertise throughout the project planning process and Infopulse specialists are now developing a new website for the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation.

As well as helping families who have chosen to look after their children, the project aims to improve healthcare and education for babies, children and adults living in institutions across Ukraine.

September conference and project launch event
On 22 September 2010, the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation will host a one day conference for families, education and healthcare professionals, policymakers and other NGOs to provide information about Down syndrome, effective early intervention, education and healthcare, to introduce the project and to launch the charity's new services.

Speakers at the conference will include Professor Sue Buckley OBE, Chief Scientist at Down Syndrome Education International and Emeritus Professor of Developmental Disability and the University of Portsmouth, UK, and an internationally-recognised expert on development, education and support for young people with Down syndrome. Also presenting will be Dr Phillip Mattheis, a Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, USA. Dr Mattheis is a leading authority on healthcare for people with Down syndrome, a long standing member of the US Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group and a founder member of the International Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group.

Announcing Ukrainian Down Syndrome Development Fund
Together with Down Syndrome Education USA, Down Syndrome Education International and Down Syndrome Education USA have also today launched the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Development Fund to receive donations to specifically support the work of the Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation. Donations given to this fund will be directly used to support the development of services to support people with Down syndrome and their families throughout Ukraine. Donors can give online to Down Syndrome Education International or to Down Syndrome Education USA to contribute to this fund. For information about additional ways to give, please contact us.

Further information
The Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation
The Ukrainian Down Syndrome Organisation is a Ukrainian charity. It was founded in Kyiv by parents of children with Down syndrome with the aim of helping people with Down syndrome and other genetic disorders and their families. The charity is working to provide high quality information and services for people with Down syndrome and their families, and to encourage more positive attitudes towards people with disabilities throughout Ukraine.

EDB
EDB is one of the largest IT groups in the Nordic countries, with nearly 50 years' experience of serving leading Nordic businesses. The company delivers solutions that cover the entire range of business-critical IT services from application services and industry-specific solutions through to IT operating services and network solutions. EDB's ambition is help its customers create added value both by cutting IT costs and realising the potential that new opportunities offer. EDB has about 6,000 employees working from locations in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Ukraine, Great Britain and India, and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. EDB has a turnover of NOK 8 billion (€1 billion).

Infopulse
Founded in 1992, Infopulse Ukraine is one of the leading Ukrainian software development companies and IT services providers. In 2007 Infopulse became a part of EDB group.

Located in Kyiv, Zhytomir and Luhansk, Infopulse employs more than 600 expert professionals. Infopulse provides the full range of services and solutions for a variety of industry verticals including: banking and finance, telecommunications, government, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and others. Infopulse is a subsidiary company of EDB Business Partner ASA.

Down Syndrome Education International
Down Syndrome Education International (DownsEd) is the leading global nonprofit serving young people with Down syndrome and their families. The UK-based charity works to ensure successful education for young people with Down syndrome through scientific research and evidence-based information and support services.

For 30 years, the charity has advanced scientific research investigating language, cognition, memory and speech development, literacy, numeracy, and education, developing teaching techniques that improve the lives of many thousands of people living with Down syndrome today.

Today, Down Syndrome Education International works in partnership with Down Syndrome Education USA, a US-based nonprofit organisation, to support families, teachers and therapists, researchers and organisations in over 180 countries, helping more than 100,000 people each year.

Further information
For further information about Down Syndrome Education International's work in Ukraine or about our global initatives to support young people with Down syndrome in low and middle countries