World Down’s Syndrome Day, now in its thirteenth edition this year, took place on March 21. The date was not chosen at random, but with the aim of drawing attention to the altered chromosome number that causes the syndrome. The balance sheet in terms of visibility was more than positive. The web, as has been the case for some time now, has proved decisive. On social media, in fact, the hashtag #WhatIBringToMyCommunity has been very successful.
It makes you think a lot about this sentence. Over the years, we have seen many positive changes regarding the inclusion of people with this syndrome.
A very good social driver is undoubtedly sport – a context that sees the concretization of many fundamental values to live in community – and we as IDI have given several times our contribution to projects focused on the synergy between sociality and healthy sports competition.
To be successful in all this, however, it is not enough to stop at a single day and its undoubted media clamour. It is necessary to continue to talk about it, to meet to create round tables and other discussion contexts.
This is fundamental, especially with regard to employment inclusion. During the last World Down’s Syndrome Day, there were numerous situations in which this central theme was discussed.
In Rome, for example, it was possible to participate in the event “Who finds a job finds a treasure”, during which he spoke about his experience Giulia, a Down girl who found her professional dimension in a lingerie shop in the capital.
This is just one of the many examples that can be brought when talking about the role of people with Down’s Syndrome. Fortunately, we repeat, today it is much easier to discuss these issues, because we are aware that diversity is just another face of a multifaceted and above all very rich reality, from which we can learn a lot every day looking at the enthusiasm, tenacity and desire to emerge of the people around us.
The advice we give, therefore, is to keep our eyes and heart open beyond the world days, which are initial points of reflection from which to draw inspiration to give the best in everyday life and reach out to those who live moments of personal or family difficulties for problems such as Down’s Syndrome.
