Ciências ULisboa participates in the project of Associação Pais 21 - Down Portugal, whose objective is to integrate young people with Trisomy 21 (T21) into the job market.
The driving force behind this idea at the Faculty was Federico Herrera, professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (DQB) and principal investigator at the Laboratory of Cell Structure and Dynamics at the Institute of Biosystems and Integrative Sciences (BioISI).
As part of this project, Ciências ULisboa received two young people who are currently doing an internship in one of the Faculty's laboratories.
Figure 1 - João Pedro Carvalho and Vera Souschek (Source: DCI Ciências ULisboa)
João Pedro Carvalho and Vera Souschek go to BioISI's laboratories on Thursdays and Fridays for a two-hour work period. Both with the accompaniment of a psychologist and a motor technician, the adaptation work is done progressively and gradually, taking into account the needs and evolution of each one.
Both develop auxiliary laboratory work, with the main task of preparing materials for sterilization, filling boxes with micropipette tips. Andreia Barreto, a PhD student in Biochemistry, emphasizes the importance of Vera's work – "she is doing a task that we had to do, because we need the tips to work on all the time, with which we wasted a lot of time, and so it is a very useful job for us".
Figure 2 - Pipette identification system with colors to facilitate the recognition of the various sizes and shapes of the materials. (Source: DCI Ciências ULisboa)
Rita Avelino, treasurer of the Pais 21 Association and mother of a young man with T21, explains that those who have this condition tend to be very meticulous and find it very easy to do this type of task, simpler, but very repetitive, without it bothering or delaying them. However, properly monitored and stimulated, people with T21 have the ability to progress and vary in the tasks they perform.
Rita Avelino also mentions that this is a project with numerous added value, both for people with T21 and for society in general. Work experience gives young people more autonomy and confidence, as well as developing their social skills. For society, living with these people is very gratifying because it gives them another perspective on intellectual disability.
Federico Herrera says that "the project is working very well, and has many possibilities for the future". For the researcher, this experience can perfectly be extended to other laboratories of the Faculty, since the tasks that João Pedro and Vera perform are transversal tasks to several departments and research centres.
Figure 3 - Trophy awarded to Federico Herrera on Science Day (Source: DCI Ciências ULisboa)
As a researcher and trainer, the professor says that his job is to train scientists – "in this case we continue to do exactly the same thing, but now also with people with trisomy 21, broadening the spectrum of people we are training a little", he says. As a core element of life in society, work is synonymous with integration, he explains. In this sense, "the idea is to use work as a place of integration, for people with and without disabilities. The laboratory is not only a place to do science, the laboratory is a place of training and integration with a lot of potential."
Manuela Pereira, professor at DQB and principal investigator at BioISI's Bioenergetics Laboratory also involved in the project, emphasizes the importance of Vera's work – "A person with Vera's profile could perfectly be an excellent laboratory technician in several Biochemistry laboratories – it's a symbiosis!"
The "Autonomia 21" project, initially embraced by Federico Herrera and later also by Manuela Pereira, allows Ciências ULisboa to act on the pillar of social sustainability, constituting a mark in the relationship between academia and society. It was in this sense that, on the 19th of April, during the Science Day, Professor Federico Herrera was awarded a recognition for his impact on the ULisboa Science community.
More information about this project:
- Associação Pais 21 - Down Portugal
- Report on RTP's "A Nossa Tarde" program (available from 35 minutes)
- News Sciences ULisboa – Social Sustainability
Coordinator: Federico Herrera
Members of the project (FCUL interns): Manuela Pereira and students from the Laboratory of Cell Structure and Dynamics and the Laboratory of Bioenergetics
Members of the project (external FCUL): Vera Souschek, João Pedro Carvalho, Marcelina Souschek, Rita Avelino, Margarida Cunha and Patricia de Sousa
For more information, please contact sustentabilidade@ciencias.ulisboa.pt.