Celebrating World Down’s Syndrome Day

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) has been marked on 21st March since 2007, and officially observed as a global awareness day by the United Nations since 2012.

Catholic Care is blessed to have a number of people with Down’s Syndrome among our service-users, volunteers, and supporters.

Our service for Adults with Learning Disabilities supports people with Down’s by providing residential homes, supported living, and supported housing, as well as outreach support.

We focus on a person’s ability and not their disability.

We use a fresh, outcome-focused approach, involving person-centred planning, to offer each individual greater independence and autonomy.

To mark World Down Syndrome Day, here are a dozen interesting facts:

 

  1. Down’s syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome in their genes. Around 1 in every 800 babies will be born with Down’s Syndrome.
  1. Down’s Syndrome usually causes varying degrees of intellectual and physical disability and associated medical issues.
  1. Last year James Martin was the first actor with Down’s Syndrome to collect an Oscar. He starred in An Irish Goodbye, which won best live action short film at the Academy Awards.
  1. March 21st was chosen as World Downs Syndrome Day because March is the third month, and Down’s Syndrome is caused by the triplication of the 21st chromosome. The theme in 2024 is #EndTheStereotypes
  1. People around the world wear mismatched, crazy, or colourful socks on 21st March. The idea is to start a conversation; when people ask about your socks, you tell them “I’m wearing them to raise awareness of Down’s Syndrome”. Look out for the hashtag #LotsOfSocks across social media!
  1. In 2022 the UK Government passed the Down Syndrome Act, a very short but significant piece of legislation about meeting the social care needs of people with Down’s Syndrome. It is the first such legislation in the world.
  1. It is estimated that there are 40,000 people with Down’s Syndrome living in the UK. The leading national organisation supporting them and their families and carers is the Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA).
  1. Actor Sally Philips and her son Olly (who has Down’s) recently became DSA patrons. Sally has presented documentaries highlighting the opportunities and challenges that people with Down’s Syndrome encounter.
  1. Last year a book illustrated by a person with Down’s Syndrome was shortlisted for Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Brother.Do.You.Love.Me recounts the relationship between brothers Manni and Reuben Coe.
  1. People with Down’s Syndrome are helping to shape Listen, Include, Respect which is a set of guidelines explaining how organisations should include people with intellectual disabilities in different parts of their work.
  1. Down’s Syndrome is named after English physician John Langdon Down who first described the condition in 1862. A French doctor called Jérôme Lejeune (1926-94) was part of a team of geneticists responsible for scientifically explaining Down’s Syndrome. A devout Catholic, in 2021 Pope Francis declared Lejeune “Venerable”, the first stage to being recognised as a saint.
  1. In France, the “Little Sisters, Disciples of the Lamb” is the only religious community in the world known to invite women with Down’s Syndrome to enter religious life as full members of a religious institute.