Ás styrktarfélag

 

Ás is a non-profit organization and one of the leading companies in services to people with learning disabilities in Iceland. The company is a mutual benefit organization and has, through the years, established various types of service. Long term residence, daycare for children and work-related offers for adults, helping people to find jobs at the labour marked and finding ways to make it easier to keep their own home is few of our many concerns. All the boardmembers of the company are parents or closely related to people with disabilities.

The organization has a strong relationship with many of independent supporters as well as other associations and companies who have helped the organization to grow and blossom. As today ÁS can provide service to 300 persons with disability and the employees are approximately 420.

Today ÁS has around 700 members registered. It’s funding comes through contracts with the city of Reykjavik and other municipalities in the capital area.

Here is a link to a documentary on As styrktarfelag, shown on TV at it’s 60 years anniversary.

You can choose subtitles in english by selecting CC below the frame.

Homes

Ás opened the first group home in Iceland in 1976. Today Ás runs 10 homes with 65 inhabitants, in the capital area.

Daycare for children

Ás opened its first day service center in 1961. Providing services for children was the main task of Ás for the first decades. Today municipalities have taken over these services for most children. Ás provides service for 3 children.

Work and activity

Ás opend the first workplace in 1971. Today we provide Work and Activity for 240 persons with disabilities (pvd) in two workplaces in the capital area.

We offer a broad variety of work related actives for the workers to choose from.  Workers can choose up to five work and activity programs from a list of approximately twenty to take part in each year through our webpage.

The programs take place on different locations; in buildings owned by Ás styrktarfélag, in various museums and other public places, in a local music school and in a cemetery in Reykjavik. There are also some outdoor activities. All of the workers have a „home station“ to come to every morning and between work and activity programs. There they have a key person and the opportunity to fit other necessary activities in to their daily routine.

Project SEARCH

Ás styrktarfélag signed a licensing agreement with Project SEARCH in the autumn of 2021. In February of 2022 the project got a funding from the Ministry of social affairs and labour.

The Project SEARCH Transition-to-Work Program is a unique, business-led, one-year employment preparation program that takes place entirely at the workplace. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations. The program culminates in individualized job development.

The first students started the program in September 2022.