September 2013 |
|
Down Syndrome Awareness Month: Coming Soon!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Down Syndrome Awareness Month is upon us once again. What do you have planned in October that celebrates people with Down syndrome? We are still jazzed about the Resolution our self advocates adopted this summer at our convention, and we'd like to encourage you to share the message in your community.
You can download the entire resolution here, but we've also created this sheet of bookmarks, that you can easily print and share.
Feel free to take this template and add your own photos at the top. Give them to teachers, neighbors, therapists, co-workers -- it's such a great statement that helps to spread the "We're More Alike Than Different" message.
Consider this: the most effective method of creating awareness about Down syndrome or advocating for people with Down syndrome occurs every day, in the most average ways.
When people who are unfamiliar with Down syndrome see our children out on the soccer field, in the dance recital and in school performances, they are seeing them as capable. When self advocates are seen working in hospitals, grocery stores and libraries, they are proving to the world that they contribute to society.
Celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month the same way you celebrate your family member with Down syndrome every month: Get out there! Be seen! Let others see your family doing everyday family things -- going to ballgames, movies, picnics. Help the people in your community see your child as a person first, a person with Down syndrome second.
|
|
Law Enforcement Training Webinar September 26th
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The National Down Syndrome Congress, National Down Syndrome Society and Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action will co-host a webinar on Thursday, September 26th from
12 - 1:30 p.m. EDT entitled Law Enforcement, First Responders and People with Disabilities - The Training Curriculum and Engaging Local Law Enforcement and First Responders for Affiliate Organizations.
Presenters will include Patti Saylor, mother of Ethan Saylor, Sgt. A.D. Paul of the Plano Texas Police Department, who has built and maintained training for police officers in several jurisdictions in Texas, and David Whalen, Statewide Project Coordinator, First Responder Disability Awareness Training, Niagara University, New York.
Topics include building a sustainable program of disability awareness among law enforcement and areas covered in the curriculum. While this webinar has been created with our affiliate parent groups in mind, if you are interested in this topic, you are welcome to join us, too.
To register, go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/668374962.
|
|
DS-Connect, Down Syndrome Registry Online
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a charter member of the Down Syndrome Consortium, the NDSC encourages you to take part in the new Down syndrome research registry. The aggregated de-identified information gathered may only be used to help improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and may not be used for any other purpose, including development of tests for prenatal diagnosis. We hope that you will check out the registry site at your earliest convenience and consider including your family's information.
Patients have full control over their information and may choose to share whatever they wish - and withdraw whenever they wish.
Read more information here.
Participation in the registry is free and voluntary. Individuals with Down syndrome, or family members, on their behalf, may sign up to create personalized profiles with information about their health histories, including symptoms, diagnoses, and medical visits. The website has been designed to ensure that all information remains confidential. The site will separate users' names from their health information, so that individuals may compare their health information with that of all other participants in an anonymous manner.
If participants give permission to be contacted, the registry coordinator can inform them of research studies in which they may be interested. Results from these studies will help researchers better understand Down syndrome and how to treat its accompanying health problems across the lifespan.
|
HealthMeet Webinar Archive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The archive of webinars from The Arc's HealthMeet project is FULL of terrific information. These recorded sessions are available at no charge, all made possible by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. 
Topics include Weight Loss for Individuals with Disabilities, Women's Health Issues, Barriers to Physical Activities in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, and Oral Health, Disease and Prevention.
Visit the HealthMeet website to see the complete list, click on the topic you are interested in, and follow the directions. They are there for you whenever you have time to watch and listen!
|
|
|
And Another Thing or Two...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This year's theme is "Because We Are EQUAL to the Task". Get more information here about how you can be involved.
2. Ugh! Bad news. The National Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) is going away. Their website, which is amazing, is still live through September 2014. Visit often and download their resources while you still can!
3. Save the date for next year's Convention: July 11-13, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the "Crossroads of America". Watch your email for news and announcements very soon!
|
|
|
|
| Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ phone: 800-232-6372/770-604-9500; email: info@ndsccenter.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
|
|
