World Down Syndrome Day

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...

  Support systems help make other rights possible. For example, lots of people with Down syndrome need support to enjoy their rights to: • Make important decisions about their lives, like opening a bank account (CRPD Article 12). • Access justice, like being able to report a crime or be a witness (CRPD Article 13). • Live independently in the community (CRPD Article 19). • Be included in education (CRPD Article 24). • Get good healthcare (CRPD Article 25). • Have a job and be included at work (CRPD Article 27). • Vote and take part in politics (CRPD Article 29). • Take part in culture, leisure and sport (CRPD Article 30). To promote all these rights, governments must improve our support systems.

Self-advocates from around the world share their experience of support systems – what is good, what is not so good and what they want to change. Click on the images to watch their videos. Charlotte from the USA Muthoni from Kenya Sam from England Halis from Turkey Sheri from South Africa Carlos from Mexico Pearl from Switzerland Stuart from Scotland Janet from Canada Morgan from Indonesia Eileen from Ireland Emma from the United Kingdom