October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Of course, for those of us who live with DS, every month, even every day, is filled with awareness.
I'd love to see a world where my son isn't judged on his chromosome count. Where he isn't judged on what he cannot do. Where he isn't placed in a "box."
It's amazing to me how much misinformation is still out there when it comes to DS.
Ignorance breeds fear which breeds prejudice. We fear what we do not know. In far too many instances, rather than educating ourselves and learning the truth about what we do not know, we resort to fear and prejudice. We make assumptions and paint people with a broad brush of ignorance. We hang onto stereotypes. We'd rather stay safely ensconced in our cocoon of ignorance than reach out and become educated.
Education can dispel the fear. Dispel the prejudice. Change lives. Education is the answer.
Happy October. And Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
