First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has opened Scotland’s first student campus for adults with learning disabilities.
Upmo’s exciting plans will create new opportunities for adults with learning difficulties and autism, and help us deliver our ‘curriculum for dignity’.
Attending the launch at Upmo’s new HQ and Employability Centre at Links House in Leith, Ms Sturgeon said: “It was inspiring to meet so many dedicated staff who are committed to not only improving the lives of the young adults they work with but the wider community too.
“We want everyone in Scotland with a learning disability to live healthier lives, enjoy choice and control over the services they use, and be supported to be independent and active citizens.
“Upmo already provides innovative opportunities and tailored support to adults with learning difficulties and autism, and these ambitious expansion plans will allow the charity to create an even more diverse curriculum than ever before.”
The campus will include a new Art Department at Duncan Place and the Upmo Performing Arts Hub at Swanfield. It will also include a student-managed retail shop on Great Junction Street and the YoYo Café at Leith Victoria Swim Centre.
Our plans have the backing of Idlewild frontman Rod Jones and author Ian Rankin, and come at a time when the Scottish Government is recognising that many young adults with learning disabilities in Scotland face barriers to appropriate further education.
“We want our students to experience the same cultural, social and life-affirming experiences their peers take for granted,” said Upmo’s founder Josh Barton, who says the new Leith campus will help us take our ‘curriculum for dignity’ to a new level.
