New #IMREADY Campaign Pushes for Child Models With Disabilities to be Featured in Media

by Nicole Pelletiere from ABC News:

Earlier this year, Target reached out to the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota in search of a child model. On December 14, the discount chain featured two-year-old Izzy Bradley who has Down syndrome.

This sparked a social media movement aiming to encourage the inclusion of models with disabilities in advertisements.

Launched last month by Changing the Face of Beauty, #15in2015 is the campaign vying to get 15 retailers to use models with special needs in 2015.

Illinois Mom of Disabled Girl Shoots Own Back-to-School Ads

"I reached out to the co-founder to promote models being in ads and she was completely on board,” said Heather Bradley, mom of Izzy Bradley. “We thought this would be a great way to capitalize on the positive response from Izzy, so we decided to move this forward by getting the attention of other companies.”

And it’s working: This morning, Infantino announced on Facebook that they are the first of 15 brands to accept challenge of including models with disabilities in 2015.

"We are committed to using models that reflect the same diversity you see on a playground. Check out our Facebook page to see our cutie cover model, who is rocking her extra chromosome." -Infantino Toys

To get involved, parents post photos of their children onto Facebook, while hashtagging #IMREADY and #15in2015.

“Since Izzy was in the ad, Heather and I thought why don’t we promote these kids and say, ‘we’re ready, it’s time,’” said Katie Driscoll, co-founder of Changing the Face of Beauty. “That’s how we launched the #IMREADY portion and it’s already gone crazy.”

In addition to Target, Nordstrom has advocated featuring models with all abilities in their ads.

In the past, Driscoll’s five-year-old daughter Grace, who also has Down syndrome, appeared in the holiday lookbook of Tori Spelling’s Little Maven collection.

“She my motivation behind this and behind the change, Driscoll said. “I think that advertisers need to realize that people with disabilities make up one of the largest minorities in the world. Target and Nordstrom really set the precedence of inclusion. I really think the more we recognize that, the more other companies will catch on.”

Here are some of the hopeful faces of #IMREADY:

CAMDEN

 

Meghan Roberson

PHOTO: @Sears Camden says #IMREADY to be the next fresh face for Sears! YOU and Camden can take us one step closer to #changingthefaceofbeauty and helping reach the goal of fifteen new retailers in 2015.

KATE

 

Janessa Gross

PHOTO: Janie and Jack: Kate says #imready to be the next fresh face for Janie and Jack!

JADON

 

Sheryl Smith

PHOTO: Jadon's wearing Target in this photo and wants to follow in Izzy's footsteps and model for the company.

DASH

 

Kim Kann

PHOTO: Dash challenges Boden to continue to be a leader of inclusion advertising! #15in2015 #thellenshow #Miniboden #Boden

CAROLYNN

 

Geralynn Moore

PHOTO: Hey Carter's Thechildren'splace Toys"R"Us/Babies"R"Us Old Navy Gymboree Macy's BabyGap Carolynn says #IMREADY for change.

WILLIAM

 

Genevieve Brown

PHOTO: Ralph Lauren: William says #IMREADY for change. We want YOU to include models with disabilities in 2015.

TESSA

 

Becky Carey

PHOTO: Crayola, we are ready...are you? You can join the #15in2015 challenge and help by #changingthefaceofbeauty. Join us! #IMREADY

CARTER

 

Stacey Calcano

PHOTO: Carter says #iamready to be the next fresh face for Gap. YOU and Carter can take us one step closer to #changingthefaceofbeauty and helping reach the goal of fifteen new retailers in 2015. #15in2015

MILES

 

Andrea Winkler

PHOTO: Miles wants to model for Macy's, Honest Company and Janie & Jack.

Stafford student to walk the runway at fashion show

from The Stafford County Sun:
Jose Louis Moreno-Capuzano of Stafford is a model at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Fashion Show on May 7 in Washington, D.C.The show is a fundraiser that features more than 19 models with Down syndrome— including Jose, a first-grader at Margaret Brent Elementary School.He is the son of Jose L. Moreno and Maria G. Campuzano, of Stafford County. He has two brothers, Sahid and Jesus. He is the oldest son, and like his brothers, he was born with Down syndrome.
Jose loves music, playing with his brothers, watching cartoons, playing in the park and attending school, according to organizers.

Teen with Down syndrome becomes magazine model

by CNN Wire:
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (KMOV) –  Monday was “Karrie Brown Day” in Collinsville, Illinois. The teenager was honored after she made her modeling debut in a national magazine.
After the 17-year-old girl’s Facebook page received 11,000 “likes” in less than a week, her favorite clothing store, Wet Seal, flew her to California to become their first model with Down syndrome.
“One of the girls from corporate Wet Seal said where did she learn to do those modeling moves? I said I have absolutely no idea, they said, she’s got a natural talent for it,” Karrie’s mom Sue Brown said.
When Karrie was a week old, a doctor told Sue never to expect anything from her. More than 28,000 Facebook likes and a stint in a national magazine later, it’s Sue who has the last laugh.
“They did a two page article on her which just kind of blew Karrie away, to see her picture in the same magazine with Ross Lynch and Selena Gomez and One Direction,” Sue said.
Karrie will walk the red carpet at a pre-Oscar event on March 1.

Samantha Stevens takes to the runway

by Steph Hiltz from The Boston Globe:

When Michelle Sie Whitten established the Global Down Syndrome Foundation five years ago, her mission was to give a face to those within the community. And there’s hardly a more glamorous way to move into the spotlight than to don beautiful clothes and take to the catwalk. Of course, including a bevy of famous friends doesn’t hurt either.

“As a philanthropist, I go to a lot of charity events and [notice that] the people that are being served are often invisible,” Whitten said. She went on to create what has become the largest fund-raiser for Down syndrome in the nation, the annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show.

Teen with Down Syndrome stars in Wet Seal campaign

 from Rebecca Fishbein from Today:
Karrie Brown got to live out every teenager's dream last month when her favorite clothing company, Wet Seal, asked her to model for them. But the 17-year-old high school junior from Collinsville, Ill. isn't like most other models: She has Down Syndrome.
But that wasn't going to keep Karrie away from the camera. In August, her mother, Sue Brown, took a picture of Karrie dressed in her favorite Wet Seal outfit and put it on a Facebook page titled "Karrie Brown — Modeling the Future."
"The next day, people started texting and tweeting at Wet Seal, and leaving voicemails for them that they should check out Karrie, that she wants to be a model," Brown told TODAY.com. "On their website, they say they believe in diversity and inclusion, and it was just a perfect fit."
Karrie's fans caught Wet Seal's attention, and the clothing company contacted Brown the next day.
"That's when they said if we had 10,000 Facebook 'likes' by that Friday at noon, they'd have a surprise," Brown said. "We had 11,000 'likes.'"

Karrie Brown hopes to dance with Ellen Degeneres

from KSDK News Channel 5:
Karrie Brown's first day of school outfit went viral, resulting in not only thousands of fans but a photo shoot for a national clothing store.
The Collinsville High School Junior has Down syndrome and autism. A self-proclaimed fashion lover and aspiring model, Karrie's favorite store is Wet Seal. Her mother, Sue Brown, posted a picture of Karrie in her brand new threads on the first day of school August 12th and was flooded with responses about how great Karrie looked.

Soon enough, a family friend launched a Facebook Fan page displaying all of Karrie's daily school outfits.
Thousands of people liked the page and within a couple days Wet Seal was calling.
The retailer is flying Karrie out to California next week for a photo shoot.
Karrie is a teen who is constantly giving back to her community. She volunteers at her local YMCA and library branch. She also takes Zumba classes and Hip Hop classes because dancing is her favorite thing to do. Her love of dance has given birth to her ultimate dream -- dancing with Ellen Degeneres -- which has yet to be realized.

Living with Down Syndrome

By Christina Kristofic from Philly Burbs.com:
If you ask Kathryn Drenth to tell you about her Down syndrome, she’ll probably pull down her shirt and show you the scar from the open heart surgery she had when she was 6 months old. Her mother immediately will make her cover up and say, “Remember what we said about privacy.”Mariah Drenth-Cormick is trying to stop that demonstration now because she knows it won’t be long before that’s a social taboo.“I don’t think she thinks Down syndrome is any different from the scar on her chest,” Mariah told a class at Delaware Valley College recently.
Seven-year old Kathryn thinks she’s just like other kids her age.
And in some ways, she’s right.
Kathryn has the same energy and excitement for life that other kids her age do. She loves going to Simon Butler Elementary School, where she sits in a mainstream class and studies the same things other second-graders do.
Kathryn loves playing with her classmates at recess or after school. She loves spending time at home with her family, where she might watch cartoons, play games, lead a dance party, read to her baby dolls or fight with her younger brother.
But Kathryn and her classmates are only 7. And Kathryn’s classmates don’t have an extra chromosome that will slow their physical and mental development.
So how much longer will Kathryn be like most of the other kids? When will they outpace her?
Mariah Drenth-Cormick, one of the co-chairwomen of the Bucks County Down Syndrome Interest Group, knows her daughter will always be behind other kids.
But she doesn’t know by how much.
Mariah said the geneticist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who officially identified Kathryn’s condition a few days after she was born told her that Kathryn would not be able to do basic problem-solving tasks. The example the geneticist gave Mariah, which she gave the students at DelVal was: If someone told Kathryn to take the elevator to the third floor of a building and use it again to get back to the first floor, and a fire broke out somewhere in the building, Kathryn would not know to take the stairs and would insist on waiting for the elevator to get out. But Mariah knows that’s not true of her daughter.
“This girl can connive anything out of anyone and she has very good negotiating skills,” Mariah said.
Mariah is letting Kathryn show her — and others — what Down syndrome is.
As one of the co-chairs of the Bucks County Down Syndrome Interest Group, Mariah represents about 160 families of children with Down syndrome in Bucks County. She regularly takes Kathryn to meet women who are pregnant with or just gave birth to babies with Down syndrome, so the women can “see what a kid with Down syndrome looks like, what they can do and can’t do, how they bend in half.”
The visit to DelVal was the first time Mariah took Kathryn to speak to a college class.
“I just want to create the normalcy about it,” she said.
“Yes, it’s an extra chromosome. It’s not that scary. I think when people hear Down syndrome, especially older people, they have a preconceived notion that you put the child in an institution. We have special education, an IU, so many wonderful supports in place... Kathryn is only one grade-level behind. She can do everything on the playground except for the really high monkey bars. I can’t do the really high monkey bars. She’s just had such an awesome team and support that has helped her succeed.”
Kathryn crawled at 10 months and walked at 2 years old — later than most kids.
She started occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy as a toddler, so she is more advanced than some other kids her age who have Down syndrome. Mariah said she knows other children in the area who have Down syndrome who have to go to another school that offers more support for them.
Kathryn’s condition means she has trouble reading and writing some words her mainstream classmates already have mastered. Her speech isn’t as clear as theirs. And because she has low muscle tone and control, her handwriting is bigger and sloppier.
So she gets extra help each day from therapists and learning support teachers.
The other kids in her mainstream class, who might know that Kathryn is different, don’t treat her like she is.
“This group of second-graders is one of the kindest groups I have ever met. There is this genuine respect the kids have for each other,” said Susan Zubak, Kathryn’s second-grade teacher. “And Kathryn is a bit of a celebrity at times in here. Kids will actually go out of their way to have the opportunity to read with Kathryn.”
Being part of a mainstream class is good for Kathryn’s growth and development, Zubak said, because it gives Kathryn the opportunity “to come in and see some higher-level thinking skills going on and model herself off what she sees going on in the classroom.”
The kids in the mainstream class learn from it, too. Rebekah Detweiler, Kathryn’s learning support teacher said, they can get to know Kathryn “and see that everyone’s different and there’s all different kinds of people.”
And then, Detweiler said, Kathryn and other children with development disabilities can “feel like they’re included with their community of learners.”
Kathryn’s family tries to treat her like a typical child her age and sets high standards for her. Mariah said, “She has boundaries. ‘Here’s what we expect of you in public. Don’t lift your skirt. Sit like a lady.’ “
Some of the other rules: Say “please” and “thank you,” don’t give other people attitude.
Kathryn follows the rules most of the time — as well as any 7-year old can. And her parents remind her of the rules regularly.
“We want her to be an independent person who eventually has a job,” Mariah said. “If we coddle her and do things for her, she’s never going to learn to do things for herself.”
Mariah said she and her family want to see Kathryn have her own home one day and “have any opportunity a typical person would.”
“If she wants to go to college, we’ll find a college that will meet her needs,” Mariah said. “I think she can be anything she wants to be.”
If you ask Kathryn what she wants to be when she grows up, she’ll give you a different answer each time. She told a reporter one day that she wanted to be a teacher. She told the DelVal class she wanted to be a princess.
She has typical 7-year old dreams.

Christina Kristofic: 215-345-3079;
email, ckristofic@phillyburbs.com;
Twitter, @CKristofic

NUBY is pleased to kick start this fall with its Peace, Love & Down Syndrome campaign to raise awareness for Down Syndrome

from Herald Online:
This campaign includes sharing stories from families who have been touched by a child or adult with Down Syndrome, providing NUBY No-Spill cups to over 2,000 children with Down Syndrome, and educating others about Down Syndrome with facts from www.ndss.org. NUBY is launching this program with Lennon, a sweet, 2-year-old girl from Monroe, Louisiana. Lennon is one of our latest faces featured by NUBY and will be used on marketing material this upcoming year.  In addition, NUBY invites everyone to visit their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/nubyusa, to see this campaign launch, learn more about Down Syndrome, Lennon, and also share their stories. Peace, Love & Down Syndrome is part of NUBY's commitment to corporate and social responsibility."I am excited to be working with my team on such a meaningful campaign: Peace, Love & Down Syndrome. I believe this program will be just as rewarding for our fans as it will be for me." - Eddie Hakim, CEO. About Company:  Founded in 1972, Luv n' care Ltd. - which produces and sells under the NUBY brand - is one of the leading baby and toddler product innovators in the world. NUBY's mission is to create fun, safe products that aid in the development of children while making parents' lives easier. Thanks to its unique designs and patents, NUBY products are well-known not only throughout the United States, but also in over one hundred and fifty (150) countries worldwide. As inventors of the patented no-spill cup, NUBY is the #1 cup brand in the world and holds countless other patents in its full infant feeding and teething lines. With over a hundred global industry awards, NUBY has decades of experience and will continue to better the lives of parents and children worldwide. For more information, please visit www.nuby.com.
Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/10/04/4314352/nuby-is-pleased-to-kick-start.html#storylink=cpy 

Role model: Down's syndrome boy, 4, to star in Marks & Spencer Christmas magazine

by Richard Smith from Mirror:Proud mum posted message on shop's Facebook saying Seb "charms the pants off everyone he meets and his little face is full of magic and mischief"Little Seb White is a good advert for positive attitudes.
The four-year-old’s mum had noticed how rarely Down’s syndrome kids featured in fashion shoots.
So she wrote to Marks & Spencer offering him as a model and to her delight the company said yes.
Seb will star in the M&S Christmas magazine. Proud mum Caroline, 39, who contacted the firm on Facebook, said yesterday: “He shows being ‘different’ isn’t any less wonderful – or even different.”
Mum-of-two Caroline added: “When Seb was born I vividly remember seeing lots of ads with hundreds of beautifully perfect kids in them and it just added to my sense of isolation.
“Then in July when we were shopping for Seb’s school uniform it occurred to me again that all the ‘different’ children out there are just not represented.”
Caroline, of Bath, Somerset, posted a message on M&S’s Facebook page saying: “Seb has striking, unusual features, charms the pants off everyone he meets and his little face is full of magic and mischief. So here’s the thing. He also happens to have Down’s syndrome. When he was born I was shocked to my core.
"I knew nothing about the condition and what should have been the happiest day of my life turned out to be the worst.
“I could never have imagined how excited and proud I would feel about him starting mainstream school in a couple of weeks. I wouldn’t swap him for the world.”
Product manager Caroline and husband Simon, 36, manager at a toiletries company, received a message asking them to call the store giant.
Seb – who started school last week – was invited to a photoshoot in London.An M&S spokesman said: “We always look for kids who have fun in front of the camera and Sebastian was a pleasure to work with. We are really looking forward to seeing Sebastian in our Christmas magazine.”

Bath mother: Why my Seb's a model child

from This Is Bath:
A four-year-old boy from Bath with Down's syndrome has been picked as the face of a national children's clothing brand.

Sebastian White, who lives in Oldfield Park with his parents Caroline and Simon and one-year-old brother Dominic, has featured in a modelling campaign for the autumn/winter collection at JoJo Maman Bébé, which has a shop in Cheap Street.

The idea behind it is to raise awareness about the condition, while at the same time introducing more images of people with disabilities into the public eye.

His mother Caroline, 39, said Seb was a natural in front of the camera and had really enjoyed the opportunity to be the centre of attention.

She said she wanted her son to be involved in the campaign as a way to show that in so many ways he was just the same as other children his age.

"It is funny really because I am not the kind of mum who would've put my kids into modelling, but it is about getting his face out there, raising awareness and getting rid of that fear," she said.

"When Seb was born I was really ignorant about Down's syndrome and it was a really scary time.

"So I have always had this aim of trying to raise awareness, because the scary thing about disability is that it is different and the more you see of it, the more you normalise it and the easier it is to remove the fear."

Over the past year Seb has been splitting his time between the Bath Opportunity Pre-School at Three Ways School and Widcombe Acorns Pre-School.

He is now looking forward to going to school in September, when he will start with three days a week at St John's RC Primary, in Oldfield Park, and two days at Three Ways.

Mrs White said: "When he started at the mainstream pre-school I was really nervous for him and for me, but it has been the most positive thing.

"When he left a couple of weeks ago I sent an email round to everyone saying thank you and I have had so many wonderful responses.

"To everyone he is just Seb, and he just happens to have Down's syndrome."

To raise awareness about Seb and Down's syndrome, Mrs White has started a Facebook page, where she writes articles and updates followers about her family's experiences.

To view it search for Downs Syndrome Raising Awareness and Shifting Attitudes.

Baby With Down Syndrome Is New Face of Designer Ad Campaign

from WFMY News 2:
A 10-month-old girl from Miami has been named the new face of designer Dolores Cortes' new DC Kids swim suit line. Valentina Guerrero is the first person with Down Syndrome to be the main model of a campaign.


from MSNBC by Samantha Randazzo:

 

Joe Klamar / AFP - Getty Images

A sweet moment: Designer Dolores Cortes, holding 10-month-old model Valentina Guerrero, walks the runway at the Dolores Cortes show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2013 on July 20 in Miami.

By Samantha Randazzo, Styleite

We have a feel-good story for you: Valentina Guerrero, a 10-month-old Miami girl with Down syndrome, is now the face of Spanish swimwear designer Dolores Cortés' 2013 children's swimwear collection, DC Kids.

Although she is not the first child with Down syndrome to model, Valentina is considered the first to land a campaign with a well-known designer. Cortés showed her collection during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2013 and even brought Valentina out to walk the runway. The designer told AdWeek:

“People with Down syndrome are just as beautiful and deserve the same opportunities. I’m thrilled to have Valentina modeling for us.”

Valentina’s mother, TV host and producer Cecelia Elizalde (also known as Ceceliz) told the Down Syndrome Association of Miami how she felt when the brand told her that they wanted Valentina to be their spokesmodel:

“I was excited, mainly because the fact that they are placing Valentina on a catalog sends a very clear message of inclusion; all children deserve the same opportunities, regardless of their physical, economic, social, racial or medical condition.”

Cortés has also pledged to donate 10 percent of the profits from the DC Kids line to the Down Syndrome Association of Miami. Check out the collection here, and look at the adorable photos from the campaign below!

 

DC Kids

Young fashionista: 10-month-old Valentina Guerrero, rocking a pink floral bathing suit, is the new face of DC Kids.

 

DC Kids

She's a natural! DC Kids designer Dolores Cortes said she chose baby model Valentina Guerrero, who has Down syndrome, because "all children deserve the same opportunities."

More from Fox News:

“She’s taught us far more than we could ever teach her,” she told Vanity Fair Italy.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/07/24/latina-with-down-syndrome-graces-cover-catalog/#ixzz21eyn2mRk

More from New York Daily News:

“People with Down syndrome are just as beautiful and deserve the same opportunities,” Cortes said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to have Valentina modeling for us.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/10-month-old-girl-syndrome-face-new-swimwear-ad-campaign-designer-dolores-cortes-article-1.1120740#ixzz21ezRaa3r


from People by Rachel Goldstein and Kristen Mascia:

Baby with Down Syndrome Lands Major Fashion Campaign

Brian Smith

The first time fashion scout Monica Hillman laid eyes on little Valentina Guerrero, she knew she’d found a beauty.
“Her eyes and her smile,” says Hillman, “touched my heart.”
Discovered by Hillman, a scout for Spanish fashion designer Dolores Cortés, Valentina — featured in PEOPLE this week — is considered the first child model with Down syndrome to land a campaign with a noteworthy fashion designer.
As the face of DC Kids, Cortés’s children’s swimwear line, 10-month-old Valentina made her runway debut July 20 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2013 in Miami.
“The crowd went nuts!” her mom Cecilia Elizalde, a Miami-based TV host, tells PEOPLE of the response to Valentina, who was carried out by Cortés at the end of the show.
Though Valentina isn’t the first child with Down syndrome to model — others have been in ads for Target, Nordstrom and Toys”R”Us — with her new campaign, she’s one of the most high-profile.

“We’re definitely seeing a rise [in models with special needs],” says agent Fabiola Osorio, whose agency FFT represents another child model with Down’s.
These days it’s become more “important to companies to show different faces,” she adds of efforts within the retail and fashion industries to promote more diversity in their ad spaces.
That Valentina’s helping lead the way with that couldn’t make her parents any prouder.
“Life is so amazing with her,” says Elizalde.
For more on adorable Valentina, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

Brian Smith

–Rachel Goldstein and Kristen Mascia

Models wanted for Peterborough Down syndrome exhibition

from Peterborough Telegraph by Jim Baker:
Terry Harris is father to Lucy who has Down’s Syndrome. He believes fervently that people with Down’s Syndrome enrich and enhance our society and our lives.

Terry said: “Lucy having Down’s Syndrome never really fazed us. We often think we are extremely lucky as she does not have any of the major problems often associated with Down’s Syndrome.
“That said, she does have her problems and they are sometimes difficult and upsetting. But on the whole Lucy has grown into a lovable bundle that we think completes our family. There’s no doubting Lucy has obstacles ahead but we as a family are supportive of each other.
“The BIG picture is our way of sharing our experiences and letting every family, around the world touched by Down’s syndrome, share theirs.”
The DS The BIG Picture exhibition aims to help everyone from new parents, to people who just want a better understanding of the condition, an understanding built on fact and not misconceptions. Another key component of the campaign is to educate society on the whole and correct dated and negative stereotypes of people with DS.
In support of the exhibition Terry is offering free family photo-sessions, open to people/children with Down’s Syndrome and their families. The sessions are on a first come first serve basis offering time slots of around 35 minutes at Studio One, Ailsworth.
The photographs will be used in The Big Picture exhibition and attendees will also receive a free CD of the pictures taken or can have them printed by the studio at a discounted price.
They will also receive a 25 per cent discount on any future family portrait sessions at the studio.
The photo shoots will take place throughout June/July this weekend. Siblings are welcome but model release forms will need to be signed for the images to be in the BIG Picture exhibition.
The exhibition will coincide with World Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day 2013 (March 21) and will run from March 16, 2013 to May 25, 2013 in Peterborough, at a city centre venue (to be confirmed).
Peterborough United Chairman Darragh Macanthony has also donated £2,000 to the exhibition and offered to support it in any way he can.
DS The Big Picture has also secured the support of the largest charity involved with Down’s syndrome, The Down’s Syndrome Association.
They currently have over 7,000 members across 140 plus affiliates in the UK alone. They also have an exceptionally large presence around the world due to their World Down’s Syndrome International organisation.
A truly unique feature of the campaign is the larger images which aren’t just one picture, but made up from as many as 10,000 individual images which in turn will have a huge amount of information embedded in them from simple comments about Down’s syndrome to links for further reading and information.
If you would be interested in taking part in the exhibition contact Terry as soon as possible on 07747 606996, or at terry@dsthebigpicture.com.

More about Ryan Langston and other people with Down syndrome in the media

from The Boston Herald by Tenley Woodman:

Before last Tuesday, Ryan Langston was a 6-year-old boy with Down syndrome.

But after his modeling shots in a Target catalog went viral, he’s become a source of inspiration for families with children with disabilities.

“We are very happy and proud that Ryan is being such a wonderful face for kids with Down syndrome and we think he’s a great little ambassador,” Ryan’s mother, Amanda Langston, told the Herald last week from the family’s home in northern New Jersey.

The Langstons — Jim, Amanda and Ryan’s fraternal twin brother, Ian — said they have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of interest and support generated by Dallas-based daddy blogger Rick Smith’s post “Target Is ‘Down’ With Down Syndrome: 5 Things Target Said By Saying Nothing At All.”

Author of http://www.noahsdad.com/, a blog chronicling the life of his 11-month-old son with Down syndrome, Smith said traffic to the site was so heavy he had to get a new server to handle the scores of people posting words of encouragement and sharing stories about loved ones with the disorder on the comment board.

“It validates what we do,” Smith said.

Boston-area parents of children with Down syndrome are overjoyed with the response.

“I almost feel like it is a battle cry received,” said Wendy Agudelo, 42, of North Andover, mother to 6-year-old Abigail.

“With this ad campaign it says, ‘We see that these kids are just the same,’ ” Agudelo said.

Ryan isn’t the only child with Down syndrome making a splash in the modeling world.

Matthew Mammano, 11, of Holbrook, a model with Boston-based Model Club Inc., has appeared in Houghton Mifflin textbooks, special-needs toy catalogs and even on “Sesame Street.”

“He’s a ham. He loves it,” said his mom Michelle Santone. “I wish there was more work for these kids.”

Tim Ayers, director of Model Club, said the industry is becoming more inclusive, but still has a way to go.

“Boston is really conservative in what they do,” Ayers said. “Boston is kind of behind in their mentality in what they are looking for.”

Chelmsford mother Maura Fitzpatrick, 41, was rebuffed by a local agency when she tried to find work for her 9-year-old daughter, Amanda Russo, who has Down syndrome.

“They wrote me back and said they didn’t think there was a market for kids with disabilities. That sent me on a rampage,” Fitzpatrick said.

A Manhattan-based modeling group thought otherwise, and Amanda was chosen for a Parents magazine shoot.

“Toys R Us has always included handicapped kids in their print media. I wish we saw more of it,” Fitzpatrick said.

Target & Nordstrom recognized for including a model with Down syndrome

There is tremedous reaction to the subtle choice of model selection in 2 recent Target and Nordstrom ads. This is a compilation of reports including the original post that started the viral surge of support for inclusion for people with disabilities.

the post that started it all: Noah's Dad

Check out this great post from Noah's Dad regarding a picture from Target's latest ad.

"If you were browsing through this week’s Target ad you may have passed right over the adorable little boy in the bright orange shirt smiling at you on page 9!  And if so, I’m glad!"

Read the whole post here.

from the The Orange County Register by Jo Ashline:

At $5, the long-sleeve orange t-shirt with a motorcycle emblazoned on the front is a steal.
The photo of the precious little boy modeling the adorable outfit? Priceless.
No, it's not my son adorning the colorful ad. Which is why it's such a big deal to families like mine to see a model with special needs depicted in a nationwide ad. It's rare and unusual. When a large corporation like Target makes it a point to represent our special needs demographic, parents like me sit up and take notice.

from The Hollywood Reporter by Elizabeth Snead:

Ryan’s proud mom also commented on the blog: " We are very pleased that Nordstrom placed Ryan in their catalog. The whole process of modeling is an extreme confidence booster for him. He received so much warmth and caring from the Nordstrom crew that he thought they were there just for him! We are honored that Ryan is making the Down Syndrome community proud. He is a beautiful boy inside and out. He makes us better parents, and a better family."

from the San Francisco Chronicle by Amy Graff:

The blogosphere is praising Target for placing Ryan in the ad and not making a big deal out of it. The company didn’t send out press releases or reach out to media. Ryan’s just another one of the kids and being treated as an equal. People are saying this is a great example of inclusion—as Down syndrome children are so often excluded.

from The Week:

This is "a turning point in commercial fashion," says Emma Jones at Lime Life. Given how harsh and "fickle" the modeling industry can be, Target and Nordstrom deserve praise for being so inclusive. Ryan's smiling face is a welcome sight, says Dodai Stewart at Jezebel, but Target wasn't exactly taking risks. High-end brands such as Calvin Klein or Chanel will always "aim for exclusivity" with ads featuring "impossibly pretty people in multi-million-dollar homes and jets." But mass-market companies "thrive on a democratic, 'something for everyone!' vibe." Target and Nordstrom could bet going in that the middle-class parents they're targeting would "take note, and applaud." Maybe, but it's nice that Ryan is "not singled out," says Julia Rubin at The Frisky. The ads don't struggle to prove a point. They just treat Ryan like "just another super cute kid smiling for the camera."

from Daily Mail by Tamara Abraham:

'We are honored that Ryan is making the Down syndrome community proud. He is a beautiful boy inside and out. He makes us better parents, and a better family.'

Earlier this year, another child with Down's Syndrome made an impact on the modelling world.

16-month-old Taya Kennedy was signed to an agency in the UK, and her lively personality already has major firms lining up to cast her.

from Styleite by Julia Rubin:

The best thing about Target and Nordstrom’s casting of Ryan is that he’s not singled out in any way — he’s just another super cute kid smiling for the camera. The ads are inclusive, yet they aren’t trying to prove a point. They come across as completely ordinary, which in this case is a really wonderful thing.

from Babble by Joslyn Gray:

Television show Glee may be one reason that people with Down Syndrome are becoming more visible to the public eye. Actress Lauren Potter has a recurring role on the show as Becky Jackson, a member of the McKinley High cheer squad.  Lauren and her character both have Down Syndrome.  The show The Secret Life of an American Teenager also features actor Luke Zimmerman, who also has Down Syndrome, in the role of Tom Bowman.

from the Gloss by Jamie Peck:

Of all the groups of people ignored by the people who make clothing advertisements, the disabled might be most underrepresented; it’s sadly rare to even hear them get mentioned in conversations around this issue. That might be starting to change, though, at least in the world of children’s fashion, as a little boy with Down Syndrome has been showing off his cuteness in ads for major outlets

from Jezebel:

Ryan has what some folks call an "all-American" look: Blond hair, blue eyes, creamy skin. He also has Down Syndrome. And he's in a Target ad this week — after appearing in a Nordstrom catalog last year. AdWeek directs our attention to a blog called Noah's Dad, written by the father of a boy with Down syndrome, who is excited about the Target ad, noting that the retailer has made a some big statements by casting Ryan in the circular.

from Ad Week by Tim Nudd:

One young man is making great strides in the modeling world despite what many might see as a significant impediment—he has Down syndrome. His name is Ryan, and he appears on page 9 of the new Target circular, just a few months after making an appearance in the Nordstrom catalog. A blog called Noah's Dad, written by the father of a different boy with Down syndrome, posted the Target ad this week and lauded the retailer for being seamlessly inclusive without drawing attention to itself.


from CNN by Craig Johnson:
Another blog, Carried With Children, identified at least three times that Target has used a child with Down Syndrome in its advertisements. "By doing this, they are helping break stereotypes and most importantly, it allows children with special needs to see that they can succeed and they are not alone in this world. I hope this is the beginning of a really great trend in advertising," the site's owner, Carrie, wrote in a post last year.

A model story from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation Gala

from The News-Herald By Jean Bonchak:

Erin Farragher is fond of a large poster picturing children she modeled with at the recent Be Beautiful, Be Yourself Global Down Syndrome Foundation Gala.

She smiles as she proudly points to the photos of those who have become her friends since the Washington, D.C., event.

“The poster is her trophy,” explained her mother, Maria Dellapina.

Erin, 12, who lives with Dellapina in Burton Village, has Down syndrome and was chosen to model for the fundraiser benefitting the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the Anschutz Medical Campus at the University of Colorado in Denver.

The audition tape showing Erin sporting her sister’s party frock caught event organizers’ eyes and landed her the runway spot.

“You put her in something frilly and fashionable and she’s a princess,” Dellapina said. “I knew she’d want to perform.”

Once chosen, Erin, who attends Geauga Project Achieve in the Kenston School District, practiced for the special occasion by promenading around the house and waving ceremoniously.

The rehearsal served her well as she successfully strutted down the gala’s runway.

Although she had several dresses from which to choose, she said her selection was based on its pleasing pattern with a look of peacock feathers and was cut in such a way that she could twirl in it.Meeting a few celebrities and politicians in attendance was another perk.

Supermodel Beverly Johnson, the foundation’s spokeswoman who has a niece with Down syndrome, took a significant amount of time with the models, which made Erin especially happy, Dellapina said. Erin’s bright smile and hearty nod affirmed her mother’s assessment.

Erin also had a chance to meet actor Jamie Foxx’s sister, DeOndra Dixon, the ambassador for the foundation, and she danced with entertainer and songstress Gladys Knight.

Politicians attending the event included U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas; both advocates for the genetic condition affecting 5,500 children born each year in the U.S.

Dellapina, who was inspired by her daughter to initiate the business Spec4us, which provides custom frames for people with Down syndrome, said she noticed some of the models wearing ill-fitting eyeglasses and has since helped some of them.

With an optical technician background, Dellapina said she recognized the need for the customized glasses when she was unable to find a pair to correctly fit Erin.

She sent her own designs — which revised standard glasses to fit the facial features often associated with Down syndrome individuals — to some manufacturers and eventually found one in South Korea with whom she is working.

Dellapina said the need for such a service is obvious. She often receives positive feedback from many people, including some who said that before the adjusted frames they chose not to wear glasses because they were too uncomfortable or didn’t work.

“I just feel blessed that we are able to enrich their lives, and they can participate in school and see the world more clearly,” Dellapina said.

Meanwhile, Erin is still basking in the memories of her modeling experience.

“I think the smile on her face while she was on the runway said it all,” Dellapina said.

Mother and daughter plan to return to the gala next year, and Erin is especially looking forward to reuniting with her friends.

 “I know when we are back … she will remember each one of them,” Dellapina said. 

Baby with Down syndrome is a model in the UK

from Life Site News:
When Gemma Andre submitted photos of her young daughter, Taya, to a UK modeling agency at the urging of a family member, she didn’t say anything about the fact that Taya was born with Down syndrome.

“No one asked the question, ‘Is your child disabled?’ So I didn’t mention it,” Gemma told the Daily Mail recently.

Even after the ad agency, Urban Angels, phoned Andre and told her that Taya had made the first cut, and they would like to meet her personally, Gemma stayed mum on her daughter’s condition.

“I didn’t want her to be chosen as the token disabled child. If she was going to be picked, then it had to be on her own merit,” she says.

It turns out that Gemma didn’t have to be worried: after going in for a photo shoot with Urban Angels, Taya was chosen as one of the few lucky child models for the agency.

“When the agency rang me and said, ‘We want her on our books. She’s absolutely beautiful’, I was delighted,” says Gemma.

“I asked them if they were aware she had Down’s Syndrome. They said: ‘It’s immaterial. We’ve accepted her.’” At that moment, says Gemma, she burst into tears. 

“I was overjoyed, not so much because Taya was going to be a model. More importantly, she had competed on equal terms with every other child and succeeded.”

According to Alysia Lewis, owner of Urban Angels, “Taya is an incredibly photogenic, warm and smiley child, and that shines through in her photographs.”

“That she has Down’s syndrome did not enter the equation. We chose her because of her vibrancy and sense of fun.”

“The standard is high [for selection by Urban Angels],” says Lewis, “the desire for places strong. Taya is one of 50 children we chose from 2,000 applicants.”

Taya’s story is a rare tale of non-prejudice at a time when in many Western countries more than 90% of children born with Down syndrome in utero never get the chance to see the light of day – instead being aborted in the womb in a modern-day resurrection of eugenics.

But for her part, Gemma says she never even considered getting the tests done that might have revealed her daughter’s condition, since she and her partner had resolved “to love whatever child they were blessed with,” in the words of the Daily Mail reporter.

However, she does confess that it came as a blow when, shortly after birth, the doctor announced that Taya probably had Down syndrome.

“From that moment I was mourning for the child I hadn’t had,” she said. “We couldn’t help but selfishly wonder why this had happened to us. We weren’t prepared for it. We couldn’t celebrate. We felt numb and grief-stricken; just devastated.”

However, since then Gemma says she has not only adjusted to her daughter’s condition, but has come to embrace it.

“I am determined Taya will have as many chances in life as any other child,” she says. “I want her to go to dancing school. She loves music and has a sense of rhythm; she sways and claps her hands when I sing to her.”

“When people say ‘poor you’ I find it offensive and irritating. The way I see it, some people cannot even have children and God has given me this special child.”

from The Stir:

Taya Kennedy is rocking the modeling world. The 14-month-old's mother submitted her pictures to a top British modeling agency, and soon after she got a call saying they liked what they saw. A photo shoot followed, and Taya has since been lining up the gigs as advertisers are drawn to her bright smile and natural chemistry with the camera.
It's your typical baby modeling story, only Taya isn't typical -- she was born with Down syndrome. The agency says that, however, has nothing to do with why they or advertisers love her; her mother says it has nothing to do with what she will accomplish in life. It's an inspirational story all around.
Alysia Lewis, owner of the agency that signed Taya, told the Daily Mail:

That she has Down’s Syndrome did not enter the equation. We chose her because of her vibrancy and sense of fun. Not all children are comfortable in front of a lens and with a photographer looking at them — especially when they are so young. But Taya was so relaxed and happy. She was just what we were looking for.

When you look at the gorgeous pictures of Taya, you see nothing but a beautiful child. Any limitations that she may face are nowhere evident, and she's such an amazing reminder of the beauty -- both internal and external -- in faces that many deem tragic.
Her mother, Gemma Andre, told the paper that people often feel sorry for her when they learn Taya has Down syndrome, but she sees her daughter as a gift. She said at birth, she was given a list of all the things Taya wouldn't be able to do and delays she would encounter. One by one though Taya is busting through them all and appears to show no sign of slowing down. 
I love this story for so many reasons, but one is that because, big or small, all children face challenges and limitations in life. We hope and pray for them to be perfect or "normal," but just because they aren't by medical definitions doesn't mean they aren't in other ways. And really, no matter what challenges they face, the best thing we can do as parents and as citizens is to focus on what they can do instead of what they can't do and accept them. As Andre said:

With Taya you get the whole package: she has her difficulties, but she is clever, strong, and she laughs all the time. She has such an expressive little face. People say, "Don’t you wish she was a normal child?" but without her disability she wouldn’t be Taya, so we wouldn’t change anything about her.

I hope to see her on the cover of Vogue one day.