A Celebration through Images

A Celebration through Images – Ups and Downs Southwest; a leading Down Syndrome support charity here in the Southwest.

As we prepare to celebrate World Down Syndrome Awareness Day (21^st March 2024), we are taking a moment to stop and consider the importance of the images we use in the day-to-day work of our charity.

Whether it’s on our social media platforms or our website, our publications, or promotional material, the images we use are of paramount importance to us.

Thankfully gone are the days when it was deemed necessary to portray people with disabilities by the disability itself, making the disability the focal point rather than shining a spotlight on the ability and uniqueness of the subject in question.

Sadly, the damage created through outdated imagery can still be felt, and we continually find ourselves needing to challenge perceptions and bust a few myths along the way.

For parents of a new baby with a diagnosis of Down Syndrome, it can be a very challenging and daunting time; they immediately look to the future and wonder what life will be like for their child as they grow.  Will they be able to walk and talk, how well will they learn, will they look like their siblings, will they settle at school, will they make friends?  The concerns are real, and the questions come thick and fast.  And some of these notions may well be seated in past imagery that has been presented by the media.

We have found the most effective way to answer some of these questions and to open honest conversations with parents is through positive imagery. Natural images, reflect real-world activities and settings, and are completely relatable.  Imagery that normalises the presence of people with disability in everyday scenes and shows dignity, independence, mobility, and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome.

Our children and young people who have Down Syndrome enjoy life to the fullest in the same way as their typically developing peers; they have a thirst for knowledge, love to be creative, and enjoy everyday activities with their families and friends.  They can be cheeky, funny, loving, and kind; they feel sadness, frustration, pain, and grumpiness, just like everyone.

What do you see when you look at these images…

You won’t see the disability; you don’t see discrimination or isolation; they certainly do not provoke outdated ideas about people who have Down Syndrome.

This year’s theme for World Down Syndrome Awareness Day is #Endthestereotypes and we are so pleased, with thanks to Timeless Images, to have their ongoing support in such an important aspect of our work – Positive Imagery, Real People, Real Faces.

Jo Thorn, Director

Ups and Downs Southwest