The My Great Story (MGS) public awareness campaign seeks to ignite a new way of thinking about people with Down syndrome by collecting inspirational stories told by people with Down syndrome and their family members, friends, colleagues, and many others. NDSS has added a new category in honor of WDSD to promote storytelling in spirit 3-21.
- Watch the five MGS Celebrity PSAs or post them to your media outlet's website. These PSAs star Actor John C. McGinley, TV Hosts Meredith Vieira and Nancy O'Dell, Self-Advocate and Actor Chris Burke.
- Get the inside scoop with behind the scenes footage from the My Great Story print ad photo shoot, which features stories from Sara Wolff, The Public Speaker, and Sujeet Desai, The Traveler.
- Watch the new NDSS Milestones video starring four families who reflect on the milestones that their children have achieved and those they hope they will accomplish.
From NDSS:
Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition, in which the individual has a third copy of the twenty-first chromosome. World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on the twenty-first day of the third month of the year in recognition of this fact. One in every 691 live births is a baby born with Down syndrome, and it is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. People with Down syndrome attend school, work, participate in decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many wonderful ways.
People with Down syndrome are living longer than ever before. The life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to 60 today. Children with Down syndrome are often fully included in social and educational settings and increasingly go on to graduate high school and attend postsecondary education programs. While placement in the workforce remains a struggle, the situation has improved and adults with Down syndrome have attained a variety of positions, bringing enthusiasm, reliability and dedication to their jobs.
