Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day 2023

Six-year-old Oscar is climbing to new heights in his communication journey. Oscar has struggled with speech and has largely been nonverbal, but that’s starting to change thanks to regular speech and language therapy sessions! 

With the proper support, Oscar has been increasingly determined and in recent weeks his family has heard him speak many new words for the first time. Awesome work, Oscar!

On 21 March each year, the world celebrates World Down Syndrome Day. It’s a global day of awareness to promote the rights, inclusion, and wellbeing of people living with Down syndrome.

Why 21 March?

Down syndrome occurs when someone is born with a triplication of chromosome 21. We celebrate World Down Syndrome Day in March, the third month, to represent the third copy of the chromosome, and on the 21st day to represent chromosome 21.

The day has officially been observed by the United Nations since 2012, although Down syndrome associations around the world had been celebrating the day for many years before that, including here in Aotearoa.

What’s it all About?

World Down Syndrome Day allows the voices of many in the Down syndrome community around the world to speak loudly together on this particular day to demand positive change.

Under current conditions, many people with Down syndrome are excluded from education, face barriers to good mental and physical healthcare, are denied opportunities to do fulfilling work, and are barred from living independent lives. World Down Syndrome Day is a time to speak out against this status quo.

With Us Not For Us

Down Syndrome International develops a theme for each year’s World Down Syndrome Day celebration, to form the basis of a global campaign. The theme for 2023 is “With Us Not For Us”.

This theme speaks to a human rights-based approach to disability issues, where individuals have their rights respected and are empowered to speak out about their own needs and desires. This model encourages a collaborative approach in which people living with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else and work with others to achieve their self-defined goals.

The UpsideDowns Mission    

A human rights-based approach is built into the UpsideDowns vision of giving a voice to kids with Down syndrome. Communication is paramount to successful self-advocacy, and it is our mission to empower kids with Down syndrome to talk, read and write by helping fund speech language therapy.

We believe that every child with Down syndrome should have the tools to develop their communication, confidence and independence, and the right to participate fully in society. If you’d like to help give a voice to Kiwi kids living with Down syndrome for World Down Syndrome Day, donate today.