The article discusses World Down Syndrome Day, highlighting federal and local advocacy efforts. A mother and daughter lobbied on Capitol Hill for legislative priorities. Local activities included creating self-portraits at an art studio and encountering resistance in schools. The community grows stronger each year, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of children with Down syndrome.
First, I owe you this disclaimer: I don’t know much about fashion. I’m more the Andy than the Emily from The Devil Wears Prada, and most of my socks are from CVS. But over the past 8 years I have been immersed in disability, and what I will say with great confidence is that the world is becoming more accessible one strip of Velcro at a time.
I know it’s not realistic to support every cause, every time an awareness day or month pops up on the calendar, which is why INCLUSIVITY is the single most important mindset we can foster to make the work of caring for all people as streamlined as possible, without sacrificing the energy we reserve for our loved ones.
As parents of these beautiful children, we understand something that isn’t always so evident from the outside: Down syndrome is a blessing. So let these kids into your classrooms, your studios, your camps, your programs, your sanctuaries, and if you’re lucky, you might just catch a glimpse of the magic. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.
I’m not going to justify the life of a person with Down syndrome, explaining chromosomes and how they give back to the community, and I promise to never ask you to explain or defend your child’s existence either. All I’m going to ask is for you to consider the possibility that raising a child with a disability is mostly about simply raising a child.
Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! We advocate not because we want to, but because we need to. We celebrate because we can. Thank you for celebrating with us this year!
This year is a little different: we will celebrate World Down Syndrome Day in isolation, but never alone.
Our dreams are like any other parent’s dreams—we just have to fight a little harder to get there. Thank you for fighting alongside us. For smiling back when our daughter blows you a kiss. For continuing to vote for special needs funding. And for understanding that there is nothing wrong with having Down syndrome.