An unprecedented project provides professional training in hairdressing for people with intellectual disabilities.

A group of young people with intellectual disabilities are undergoing vocational training as a hairdressing assistant, and six of them are already starting summer internships, an unprecedented project in Portugal in their struggle to enter the labor market.

The training began in 2022 with a group of eight young people from the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Handicapped Citizens (APPACDM) in Lisbon, who for eight months came one morning a week to learn what it means to be and what a hairdresser’s assistant is.

At that time, everything was at the testing stage and it became clear that only these eight months would not be enough, so there was an option to continue the course for another eight months in 2023. Of the last year’s eight students, six continued, joined by four more young people from APPACDM in Lisbon and eight from CERCI (Cooperativa de Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos Inadaptados) in Lisbon, for a total of 18 people.

On the day that Lusa went to see the project, the students learned how to greet the client, ask what he wants, listen to the request and direct him to the appropriate chair, and remember how to properly fold towels, clean and dry dishes. or the ability to handle some work equipment.

“The idea is to make them good barber assistants, performing all the functions that a good barber assistant does, from welcoming a client, serving coffee, cleaning assistant tables, cleaning the salon, cutting silverware, folding towels,” explained Ricardo Silva. , a brand ambassador (Alfaparf) that finances and guarantees training and internships.

It’s been a weekly routine for two years now to attend this workout every Thursday morning – usually accompanied by three more trainers – and to date, Ricardo Silva hasn’t missed a single one. He has a very complicit relationship with those students who, he admits, “were a pleasant surprise.”

“With more or less difficulty, they have had a fantastic evolution for those who didn’t understand anything about hair,” he noted, defending that “they have everything to do as long as they are focused” and have a lot of enthusiasm. in learning.

According to Ricardo Silva, learning should be done “on the basis of repetition”, but he emphasized that these young people “have many learning abilities”.

“I study with them every day. They give everyday life lessons,” he was touched.

This year’s training is almost coming to an end, and for the six young people who started the project last year, the stage is now an internship, which will be paid, and hairdressers for everyone are already available, where they will work for a month. August.

Sarah Branco, 29, straightens and braids her hair in an academic head, explaining how she enjoyed working at the hair salon: “I love washing my hair, I love everything.”

“I learned to dye my hair and wash it. I really enjoy drying them,” says Filipa Serrano, also 29, admitting that folding towels and combing was the hardest part.

André David, 21, said he loves mopping and doing laundry, while Paula Mexia, 48, explained in detail how to style her hair so that the client doesn’t get wet while washing her hair. hair. , and concluded: “I dream of working in a hairdresser.”

Filipe Correia, 40, is in tune with the rest of the group and chooses to wash his hair, fold towels or comb his hair as his favorite pastimes.

Also part of this group is Catarina Valente, 30 years old, the only one who has been working in the salon Metrostudio since the initial training, a partner in this training and the responsibility of Susana Bravo.

“I really like being here because it’s part of my life,” he told Luce, emphasizing that in this way he intends to “help his parents”, since “his father is very sick.”

She explains that her duties include washing or hanging towels and folding them for use, as well as sweeping the salon, washing hair dye bowls, or cleaning and drying the dishes that Susana Bravo keeps in her cart.

“This hairdresser is my biggest dream, because with Susanna I feel great. This course is about beauty in all its manifestations,” he emphasizes, hinting at the motto of the training.

For Susana Bravo, the third member of the trio that started the formation, besides APPACDM and Alfaparf, Katarina stood out from the very beginning and understood that “she was the right person” to work alongside her.

He would like more barbers to join not only training but also internships, but admits there are still many concerns for those who hire.

“People are afraid to draw attention because they think that the fact that they have a disability can hurt, but if we see that something is going wrong, we have to fix it, we have to explain it,” he said. , emphasizing that the same goes for any other employee and adding that they are “young people who can sometimes be out of their best days and you have to be aware of that.”

The APPACDM representative in charge of the project noted that the organization intends to “do everything to promote the inclusion, autonomy and empowerment” of these people, stressing that the path chosen so far has been one of discovery and advocacy that “everything that understanding can give opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities will increase employment opportunities in the future.”

“We don’t want to show a flaw. They are really capable, as long as things are suitable for everyone and companies, after experience with these people, like and repeat. It’s a matter of opening doors and everyone wins,” defended Philomena Hags, pointing out that often lack of knowledge and fear prevent more companies from hiring people with disabilities.

In her opinion, “mental retardation is a very neglected fringe part of society”, and she denounced the small number of companies that end up having such a person on their staff.

“There’s a lot to be done because these people are just as valuable as anyone else,” he defended.

The success of the course, which does not have any government support, has already led to the creation of a class in Porto with the assurance that the 12 who started this year will continue next year, in addition to providing tuition for new students. .