Ability in disABILITY · since 2014

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Projects that change perceptions

Projects

Projects that change perceptions

Sport, art, fashion, tradition and European programmes — new ideas keep coming. Stay tuned!

Erasmus+ · Youth exchange

EmpowerDS

EmpowerDS is an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project run by Asociația Down Plus București in partnership with the Romanian National Agency for Community Programmes in Education and Vocational Training (ANPCDEFP).

The project supports young people with Down syndrome in their personal, social and emotional development through educational, interactive and creative activities in an international setting. Participants took part in:

  • learning through play;
  • personal development workshops;
  • teamwork exercises;
  • environmental protection activities;
  • artistic expression and communication sessions.

EmpowerDS encourages social inclusion, self-confidence, active community participation, respect for the environment, life skills and critical thinking — proving that young people with Down syndrome can be active, engaged and valuable members of society when they receive the right support.

EmpowerDS
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Retreat

ASO x Dharma Project Retreat

We wanted to try something completely new and unique, just the way we like it. That is how the first retreat dedicated to people with DS and other intellectual disabilities came to life. Sounds crazy? It had to be tried. So in August 2023 we headed to Wonderland Cluj together with the Dharma Project team.

The activities made this retreat our best camp ever:

  • Horse riding
  • Zip-lining
  • Hiking
  • Outdoor creative sessions
  • Meditation & connecting with nature
  • Daily workouts
  • Games, football matches and parties

We also filmed a vlog of the retreat — watch it below.

ASO x Dharma Project Retreat
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Annual event

United through sport

Sport unites us — that much we already know. But what if we united the sports themselves? That is how “United through sport” was born: an event launched in 2022 that turned out so well we now hold it every year.

Football, handball and basketball: for each sport, matches were played by unified teams of professional athletes and young people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. Everyone came out a winner — the goal being to showcase the abilities of young people with disabilities and the solidarity between athletes.

United through sport
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Festival

“Romanian feelings & emotions” Festival

An event born from a love for Romanian traditions and folk costume. Every year the festival brings together more than 300 participants from all over the country, to bring our roots back to the attention of future generations. The festival focuses on:

  • traditional costumes from different regions;
  • traditional poems;
  • traditional songs;
  • dances specific to each region.
“Romanian feelings & emotions” Festival
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Fashion & art

Monochrome — Down Syndrome Fashion

Monochrome – Down Syndrome Fashion is a project in which the colour comes from the people wearing the creations, not from the creations themselves. Over several months, our young people stepped into the shoes of top designers and created their own garments, then styled them with their own paintings.

It all ended with a fashion show on 4 October 2020 — a unique event where fashion design, painting and emotion came together beautifully, under the motto I AM MY OWN DESIGNER.

Monochrome — Down Syndrome Fashion
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Fashion & art

heART COUTURE

heART COUTURE is a 2019 project in which, over several months, our artists created a series of paintings using fruit, vegetables, chocolate and toothpaste as watercolours.

The works were interpreted by 3 artists from the Roxy&Kids Art Association and then transferred onto a collection of ponchos and traditional skirts. It all ended with a fashion show in front of 400 people.

heART COUTURE
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21 March

World Down Syndrome Day

World Down Syndrome Day is the heartfelt event celebrated worldwide on 21 March. Following the international theme, every year we organise Romania's largest cultural and sports event dedicated to this day:

  • a sports event where more than 200 young people with disabilities receive awards every year;
  • a cultural event where the abilities of people with Down syndrome shine through artistic performances.
World Down Syndrome Day
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Erasmus+ · 2018–2020

Sport together, active forever

Sport together, active forever is an Erasmus+ project implemented in 2018–2020 together with the National University of Physical Education and Sport in Bucharest and partners from Spain and Latvia. The young people learned the ins and outs of bocce and competed in national and international competitions.

Sport together, active forever

Competitions

Our competitions

Special gymnasts, city champions

An artistic gymnastics competition, now with several editions, crowning the weekly work of our children and young people. It is divided by difficulty level and apparatus: floor, beam, parallel bars, pommel horse, vault and rings.

Swimming together

A regular competition that lets our young swimmers, who train every week, compete alongside other young people at a similar level.

Erasmus+ · 2020–2022

Sustainable service in DS

An Erasmus+ project run in 2020–2022 together with the Langdon Down Oltenia Association – Teodora Educational Centre and international partners: ASINDOWN Valencia (Spain), FENACERCI Lisbon (Portugal), HURT Zagreb (Croatia), the University of Rijeka (Croatia), COORDINA Valencia (Spain) and IED Larissa (Greece).

The project involves people with Down syndrome in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals through service learning.

Project launchProject developmentWorkshopsAbout the project
Sustainable service in DS