Raising Awareness

Down Syndrome Awareness: What Does It Mean And Why Is It Important?

We hear about "raising awareness" quite a lot these days, particularly with the current social media climate that we live in. It seems that every month of the year is a designated "awareness month" for at least one condition, cause, movement, or conflict. For example, October is both Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well as Down Syndrome Awareness Month. But what does "raising awareness" really mean, and why is it important?

The word awareness itself means to raise the level of consciousness. When we think of raising the level of consciousness about a condition, such as Down syndrome, it becomes a form of social activism to educate our communities and society at large about a group of people. Shared goals for raising awareness about the condition among the Ds community include educating people about: (1) what Down syndrome is and how it affects people who are born with it; (2) what it is like to have a child with Down syndrome; and (3) what it is like to live as an individual who has Down syndrome. Obviously, these are rather broad topics with a lot of information that needs to be conveyed.

And why? Why is it so important? Over the past thirty years, the lives of people living with Down syndrome have improved dramatically due to the hard work and passion of parents, advocates, educators, and healthcare professionals. People with Down syndrome are now living lives integrated into society, as opposed to being institutionalized as they were for so very long. People with Down syndrome are included in mainstream education, they grow up to hold jobs and contribute to our communities. However, despite these advances in acceptance and incorporation, people with Down syndrome and their families often continue to experience negative attitudes, discrimination and social stigmatization. This is why we are striving to raise awareness about Down syndrome - what it is, what our life is like with our son, and who our son is - in an effort to show how NORMAL life is living with Down syndrome. By sharing information with you, we hope that you will look at the world in a different way not looking at the differences between us, but rather looking at the ways that we are all the same.

You may ask, how can I help raise awareness for Down syndrome? Here are some suggestions:

1. First, you can get information. Read this blog, read another blog (there are a ton of them), read a book, watch a story on the news, follow an organization or a family with a child with Ds on social media, ask us questions! You will learn so very much! Here are some great resources:
• Noah's Dad is a fantastic blog written by Noah's parents about their life with their son who was born with Down syndrome.
• Cedar's Story is another great blog written by the parents of a child with Down syndrome
• Down Right Perfect is a blog dedicated to child models with Down syndrome
• National Down Syndrome Congress and National Down Syndrome Society are two non-profit organization that work to improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families
2. Second, you can share your knowledge. How? Share a post you see on a story about someone with Down syndrome on social media. Or you can wear a shirt, carry a bag, get some awareness socks or an awareness pin and rock it! When someone asks you about it, tell them something that you have learned about Down syndrome. Wearing "awareness products" is a great conversation starter! Here are some places that you can buy awareness products:
•  A Lil Something Extra
• Down syndrome awareness merchandise from NDSS
• Want a pin? Email us at makeyourmarkdsawareness@yahoo.com and we will send you one of our Make Your MARK pins for free! 
3. Third, you can participate and support. Volunteer with a local organization that benefits people with special needs, such as Down syndrome. The Special Olympics is a great one. Have a Gigi's Playhouse in your area? Contact them, they are always seeking volunteers. Or, if you are looking for something a little more passive (no problem, I was there once myself!), participate in a local Buddy Walk or a 5k walk/run that benefits an organization for people with Ds and their families. It all makes a difference! You can even support adults living with Ds who have businesses, such as John's Crazy Socks, Colletey's Cookies, and Gabi's Grounds. 
• Special Olympics 
• Gigi's Playhouse is a non-profit Down syndrome education and achievement center that provides meaningful free therapeutic and educational programs to individuals with Down syndrome and their families. We love our local center, Gigi's Playhouse Annapolis. 

There is so much that you can do to raise your own level of awareness about very many issues. This is just one, one that we hold dear to our hearts. And you will be a better person and a better member of society for doing it. We all need to be the change that we want to see in the world. This is one easy way how.