Below is a list of our WDSD NATIONAL MERCHANDISE PARTNERS who may be able to offer our range of LOTS OF SOCKS logo socks and t-shirts, or WDSD t-shirts, subject to availability.
If you are based in one of these countries, please contact them first for WDSD Merchandise. If not available there, go ahead and purchase from our ONLINE SHOP.
from the Huffington Post:
Two weeks ago, I got in my car to attend the meet-up organized by the International Down Syndrome Coalition (IDSC). I wore my "Love Doesn't Count Chromosomes" t-shirt, and so did every member of my family.
My 7-year-old asked, "Why does it say that?" I listened close as my oldest -- only 8 years old -- responded. "Some people think it's bad to have Down syndrome, but it's not. Having someone with Down syndrome in your family means that you have so much love, and we are so lucky to have this love."
I smiled. How strange to think I was initially sad when my daughter was born with Down syndrome!
How incredible that we were traveling to meet with other people who loved someone with Down syndrome. The gathering was purposed to celebrate their lives and to kick off World Down Syndrome Day. Indeed, we live with so much love.
by Eleanor Goldberg from the Huffington Post:
3/21 marks World Down Syndrome Day, giving advocates the opportunity to celebrate the lives of people with the condition, and also to push for equal treatment in every area of life.
This year, the awareness campaign is focusing its efforts on urging countries worldwide to provide adequate health care to people with Down syndrome.
People with Down syndrome typically have an increased risk for some medical conditions, including congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems and Alzheimer's disease, according to the National Down Syndrome Society. While many of these conditions are treatable, and people with Down syndrome can live long and healthy lives, they still face elements of discrimination that interfere with their treatment.
According to Down Syndrome International, people with Down syndrome are often denied or delayed access to health care. They sometimes receive incorrect diagnoses due to their physician’s lack of knowledge or inadequate training, and are often excluded from the treatment plan process and making medical decisions.
21 March 2014 marks the 9th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day and each year the voice of people with Down syndrome, and those who live and work with them, grows louder. But there is still so much more we can do.
Down Syndrome International encourages our friends all over the world to choose your own activities and events to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities. We will share your WDSD World Events on our dedicated WDSD website in a single global meeting place.
For WDSD 2014, DSi is focusing on:
“Health and Wellbeing - Access and Equality for All”
All people with Down syndrome have the right to access healthcare when required on an equal basis with others without discrimination and with proper assessment of the specific health needs of the individual. We will be highlighting that:
Having Down syndrome does not make a person unhealthy.
Down syndrome is a genetic condition, not an illness.
People with Down syndrome may have health issues throughout their lives, just like everyone else and they should have access to healthcare on an equal basis with others.
There are specific known health issues which may affect people with Down syndrome, for which accurate, evidence based information is available.
Health professionals should be aware of these specific issues when treating a person with Down syndrome.
Health professionals should not discriminate against people with Down syndrome by:
refusing to treat them;
blaming health issues on Down syndrome in general, or;
considering only specific known health issues which may affect people with Down syndrome.
Our WDSD Global Video Event and WDSD Conference will both explore this important area of focus.
If you would like to join this campaign, then we very much welcome its adoption into your plans for WDSD 2014.
Once again in 2014, we are inviting everyone across the world to wear LOTS OF SOCKS on 21 March to get people talking about WDSD.
You can also participate in our WDSD activities by nominating someone for the WDSD Awards, you can join us on our various WDSD Social Media channels, and you can promote our WDSD Patrons Messages.
Whatever you plan to do, lets create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome on 21 March.
Five years ago Farley began his run for the board of directors of the National Down Syndrome Congress.
Each year the self advocates select one of their peers to represent
them on the national board. Only one is voted in annually, and some
years as many as 20 individuals run for this position.
“We can not stay in this store,” I told him sharply. My son and my daughters, ages 5 and 7, were confused. “This store is making fun of people with Down syndrome,” I told them.
The best way to
avoid unnecessary weight gain is to feed children nutrient-dense “real”
foods and limit junk foods. As a rule of thumb, buy food that is grown
rather than manufactured; so, plenty of fruit and vegetables. Since
digestive issues are common in children with Down syndrome, a truly
digestible diet can go a long way in preventing or treating yeast and/or
constipation issues as soon as they appear.
Mark Jones created a Google Doodle proposal for World Down Syndrome Day.
Although it wasn't used by Google, it still generated a lot of global
attention (it really did!).
Down Syndrome Daily is dedicated to supporting people with Down syndrome and we sincerely appreciate those who subscribe to our site and social media. We also thank everyone who sends articles and pictures!
by Katie from 5 boys and 1 girl make 6:
I write this post in honor of my daughter Grace and for the many Mothers that walked before me paving the way for my daughter and all people living with a disability. My life changed the day I was told my child would be born with Down Syndrome. The things that bothered me just hours before no longer had a place in my life. When Grace was born our family transformed and we become more caring and accepting individuals.
I struggled this year to come up with a story to share on this very special day. I felt like I knocked it out of the park last year when I wrote about women who were close to me and who inspired me. It didn’t come to me till I was photographing a very special little boy named Remy. So to Remy and his Mama I say thank you for opening yet another door of opportunity and wisdom by introducing me to Josephine Lapp.
I am sharing Josephine’s story not because she is a Mother of a child with Down Syndrome. I am sharing her story because she was at the beginning of the movement of acceptance that started over 50 years ago. She stimulated change in our community and for our world by not taking no for an answer and pushing through fear to find opportunity for her daughter. Today instead of hiding our children we celebrate them. We celebrate what makes them unique and for that I am forever thankful.
Josephine (Jo) is a mother of 3 children, 2 girls and a boy. She is 97 years young and still advocating for Tina, her daughter who was born with a brain injury. Sixty years ago Jo was told by the Catholic School Tina attended that she was not able to keep up. They suggested she be put into public school where there were resources. When Jo inquired with the public school she was told that her daughter had to be reviewed by a psychologist in order to receive special education services. The psychologist had not been out to that school for 2 years. Jo took matters into her own hands and utilized political contacts to get someone to review her daughters case as well as the many other children waiting for an appointment. All the children were reviewed within two days and the only child rejected was Tina. She was devastated, as any mother would have been, to be told that her daughter was not capable of learning.
That did not stop her. Even though she felt lost and abandoned by the system she searched and found an article about a local organization called The Garden Center. She found herself attending a board meeting consisting of predominately men. Yep, she was the only women in the room. At that time they were sharing space above a fire department that would no longer be available the coming year. As the meeting ended the local non-board members exited the room and she spoke up. She asked how much money the school had in their fund. The men in the room looked at her like she had lost her mind. She asked them again how much money was in the fund. They finally told her 5,000.00 and she proceeded to tell them that was good because they needed that to build their own school. She turned and asked for volunteers to help organize the plan and no one raised their hand so she appointed men to the positions of finding land, budgets and building designs. Within a week the land was found and volunteers were stepping up to help. Months later the building was finished and their children had a school.
Once the school was finished she proposed a residential faculty because of the growing concern of aging parents and students. Within a couple years she had the residential home right next door built by 100% donations of time, money and skills. 15 students had their own rooms while sharing a living room, kitchen and multiple bathrooms. Now Garden Center services 100′s of day program participants and houses 75 residents in a home environment.
While I was sitting in Jo’s home I could not help but be humbled by her strength and her determination. Even now at 97 years young she is concerned about the residents that are now senior citizens. She wants a plan in place for the aging. She has created a beautiful idea in her head that will make the Garden Center even more magical then it already is.
One thing I have realized this past year is that it does not matter what disability you are dealing with, or what obstacles you have been dealt in your life, it is what you do with your time. It is what you make your passion. Those two things can be life changing for yourself and so many other people. Jo is an inspiration. When she was told by a respected Doctor that her daughter was not capable of learning she cried and then she stood up and made a change. That change paved the way for my daughter and your child. She made sure that there was opportunity for our children to live semi independently with their peers and their friends. She found a way to teach them life skills and give them jobs if they were capable. Before schools like this children with developmental disabilities had very little opportunity outside of their own homes or institutions.
I asked Jo as I was leaving if she had any words of wisdom for myself and the other parents who are walking along side their children. She told me that she would tell them to spread their love around to all their children. She encouraged me to let all my children know how much I loved them and to spend time with my husband to show him the love he deserves. I love that. She is all about working hard and loving hard.
As we celebrate the extra 21st chromosome this Thursday I will remember to not only “Rock my Socks” but to continually spread myself to my family as well as to the world. I will stand up for what I believe in. I will encourage others who are doing amazing things just like Jo Lapp and I will help because there is a lot of work left to do. Jo and her friends started something great and it is our turn, it is our responsibility to support it and nurture it into something even greater.
Parents are great, they are strong and our children are even stronger. The sky is the limit for individuals with Down Syndrome and we will not accept anything less. I am proud to be a parent of “Differently-abled” children! Their strength and hard work inspire me every day. So I am asking you all to take that time to get to know someone this week with Down Syndrome. Answer them when they great you with a, “hello”. Look at them in the eye and shake their hand and don’t forget to wear crazy socks on Thursday to celebrate with us!
I am closing this post with a beautiful video produced by the IDSC in honor of our loved ones. Our loved ones rock! We are lucky to walk next to them on their road of life. This video explains who they are and why thier life is valuable and important not only to their families but to our world.
HAPPY WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY! OXOXO
by Colette Cosky from Parents.com: To help honor World Down Syndrome Day, we asked Colette Cosky, a mother of two and a marketing executive in San Diego, to share her thoughts. After her son was born with Down syndrome, she founded the organization Down Right Awesome and helps raise awareness and support for Down syndrome research.
For me, World Down Syndrome Day is an opportunity to broaden everyone’s perception of Down syndrome by seeing it through the eyes of the families who live it. I’m one of those families; my 2-year-old son, Dexter, has Down syndrome. (There we are, in the collage.) While we all have some things in common, no experience is the same and not everyone shares the same passions or beliefs. My passion is my commitment to cognitive preservation because Dexter, like all children with Down syndrome, is predisposed to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Here’s what I want other families to understand.
As I live my life, the pages of my mental scrapbook are filled with really big moments, with scents that take me to specific places in time, and with faces of those who’ve left my life in one way or another. It’s here I can visit my 4-year-old Eloise back when she was 2, or my Nana, who passed just a year ago. I can go to those memories at any time to rewind, re-live, and re-love.
In the early days of my experience with Down syndrome, I was consumed with all the things I thought Dexter couldn’t or wouldn’t do. Now that’s not the case. I think the only time I get anxious or sad is when society pulls out its standardized ruler and judges my son. Like now, as we search for a preschool, the experience is not the same as when we looked for our daughter. Without even meeting my son, people give us gentle letdowns explaining how the school can’t handle Down syndrome. But if they’d only put the person first, we know they’d see a kid who loves to be with others, who is fascinated by books, and who is eager to learn new things.
We're thrilled to announce that In celebration of World Down Syndrome Day, your donations on March 21 will be matched three to one — your $100 becomes $400, your $500 becomes $2000, and so on. This is an incredible one-day opportunity to maximize your impact on the progress of research. Plan your gift now, then donate on WDSD to take advantage of this chance to help speed science to a future of improved cognition and greater fulfillment for our loved ones with DS!
Scientists used to think the intellectual disability conferred by Down syndrome was too complex to treat. But thanks to the enormous strides researchers have made, we now believe that it's not only possible to improve cognition through drug treatment, but that the goal of improved learning, memory, and speech for people with DS may be within reach. Join us for this special World Down Syndrome Day event, when we introduce the basics of cognition research, discuss current research initiatives, and report on clinical trials now underway. Presenters from DSRTF and Roche, the global health care company, will offer an informative, accessible presentation appropriate for those new to the topic, and will answer audience questions as time allows. Register now for this event, and join us on Thursday, March 21 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET as we share the promise science holds for our loved ones with DS.
World Down Syndrome Day 2013 is nearly upon us and we hope that you are all looking forward to observing 21 March in all the great ways you have chosen to. Everyone at Down Syndrome International is ready for another truly global celebration!
Here are 6 ways you can help us to raise the profile of people with Down syndrome worldwide and promote their right to be included in our communities:
We got the band back together for a quick roundup of events happening in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day on 3/21. Much like the podcast, this write up is going to be short and sweet.
To celebrate, you can:
Attend (either in person or virtually) the World Down Syndrome Day Conference at the UN in New York. Our tireless superhuman cohort, Rick, and his amazing daughter, Kayla, will be there.
This year’s conference theme is “Right To Work”. Check out this awesome video and share it in all of your social spaces.
Wear lots of socks to get people talking and raise awareness for Down syndrome.
Support cognition research by donating to DSRTF and have your donation matched three to one. Only on March 21, your $100 donation becomes $400 in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day!!
Do something in your local community. There are tons of events happening all across the globe!
Lobby Google to use the World Down Syndrome Day Google Doodle on March 21st.
Get the word out to all of your friends through your social media connections.
Keep an eye on Parents.com for a guest post by someone you may recognize. :)
Most of all, make your voice heard. The best way to raise awareness is to celebrate the people in your life who have Down syndrome. Show the world what it means and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our communities. Happy World Down Syndrome Day! Download Down Syndrome Radio, Episode #19. Better yet…subscribe, rate us and leave a comment on iTunes!
Come join Reece’s Rainbow at RUBY TUESDAY for lunch or dinner
on March 21, 2013
In MD/DC/VA, Reece’s Rainbow will earn 20% of your meal total!
In the other metro areas, the *local Down syndrome family support groups* will earn 20% of your meal total!
We’re so grateful to our friends at Ruby Tuesday for another opportunity to raise awareness for people with Down syndrome in our communities!
In only 6 1/2 years, Reece’s Rainbow has helped find “forever families” for almost 1000 orphaned children with Down syndrome and other special needs around the world! These children are now living happy, healthy, cherished lives with families in communities all across America! Join us for lunch or dinner (or both!) on Thursday, March 21, 2013, and show your support for Reece’s Rainbow! EVERYONE IS WELCOME, not just families of children with Down syndrome. This is an important opportunity to reach outside of our existing Down syndrome/special needs community, and share the GIFT of Down syndrome as we all know it
See the list below for the participating restaurants in your state.
Facebook, tweet, blog, email and invite your friends & family to join you
Tweet this event often over the next 2 weeks to celebs and other folks on Twitter!
Share this event with your local Down syndrome support groups!
Make copies of the flyer and distribute to your local schools, churches, and on cars in parking lots
PRINT THE FLYER AND TAKE IT WITH YOU ON MARCH 21.
Take lots of pics and post them on our Facebook Page with your names and city/state
Tweet us @reecesrainbow with hashtag #downsyndromerubytuesday
On Friday, March 22, we will announce the winner!
See below for a complete list of participating restaurants in your state. Ruby Tuesday does not have stores in every state, and some locations already have other GiveBack events scheduled for this date. You MUSTprint out this flier to give to your server for Reece’s Rainbow and your local DS support groups to receive 20% of your purchase! Click to download or preview then print (if you have the option ‘fit to page’ be sure to select that).
with the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Game
Saturday, March 9, 2013
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
We hope you and your loved one with Down syndrome will be joining the DSALA to the L.A. Kings and to sit on the bench for "Bench Recognition" in honor of World Down Syndrome Day.
We still have a few 300-Section tickets available. Call the DSALA Office at 818-786-0001 to get tickets for you family and friends now. The office can accept Visa and MasterCard. See you at the Kings Game!
