World Down Syndrome Day

The theme this year's World Down Syndrome Day event is 'Together Against Loneliness'. Related Sites and Documents:  Event Page . High-level Events (Part 1) 15th World Down Syndrome Day Conference 03:27:52

World Down Syndrome Day. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is the body of independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention by the States parties. Worldwide, there are an estimated one billion people with disabilities. Through its engagement and cooperation with States parties, the Committee promotes inclusion, advocates for the human rights of all persons with disabilities, and provides recommendations to support the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the Convention. Related Sites and Documents:  CRPD 34th Session (09 - 27 Mar 2026) Watch the 833th Meeting, 34th session, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)! Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Opening of the Conference and Introduction to Theme #ImproveOurSupportSystems. Improve Our Support Systems: Social Protection and Human Support. Improve Our Support Systems: Assistive Technology, Housing and Transport. Everyone needs support sometimes. People with Down syndrome need support to live and be included in the community, like everyone else. Families also need support, as they are often supporting their family member with Down syndrome. Support is a key human right that helps make other rights possible. The support that we need is different for each person. We have the right to support that meets our needs and gives us choice, control and dignity. What needs to improve? Many people with Down syndrome around the world don't get the support they need. Many countries do not have support systems that meet the needs of people with disabilities and their families. Or the support systems they have do not respect the human rights of people with disabilities. Governments must mak...

People with Down syndrome need support to live and be included in the community, like everyone else. Families also need support, as they are often supporting their family member with Down syndrome. Support is a key human right that helps make other rights possible. The support that we need is different for each person . We have the right to support that meets our needs and gives us choice, control and dignity. Join the  Lots Of Socks campaign !

Many people with Down syndrome around the world don’t get the support they need. Many countries do not have support systems that meet the needs of people with disabilities and their families. Or the support systems they have do not respect the human rights of people with disabilities. Governments must make sure there is a support system, so people with disabilities are included in the community. Take action!

A good support system includes: Governance – laws and policies to design, implement and monitor support systems. These should be based on human rights and include people with disabilities at all stages of design, implementation and monitoring. Information and data – to understand the barriers that people with disabilities face and the individual support needs that people have. Social protection – support from the government, like money or services. This should cover the disability-related extra costs that people with disabilities and their families face. For example: • Direct costs like paying for assistive technology or support, or higher health, transport or housing costs. • Indirect costs like missed earnings that people with disabilities face, due to barriers faced at work, or that families face, because they have to provide support. Human support – this means support by a person, needed to help with daily living tasks and promote independence. This can include: • Support by fam...