Join Us in the Ring!

Share "Not Without Us!"

Viral misinformation about Down syndrome is on the rise and Canadians with Down syndrome are calling on you to help put a stop to this concerning trend. 

Misinformation creates and reinforces harmful misconceptions that prevent people with Down syndrome from fully participating in society.

"Over one third of Canadians with disabilities have said they experience barriers related to misconceptions or assumptions."

2022 Canadian Survey on Disability

Not Without YOU!

Advocates with Down syndrome demand to control their own narrative and will not let assumptions dictate their choices or limit their opportunities any longer.

How can you help stop the rise of misinformation?

Listen to lived experiences from members of the Down syndrome community and share verified facts from credible sources to help educate others.

Share The Facts

This is Who I Am

Learn more about life with Down syndrome, RSVP to receive a free copy of CDSS Awareness Leader Paul Sawka's upcoming autobiography!

MISINFORMATION

AI and other technologies are being used to create false identities of people with Down syndrome and exploit the community, making the issue of misrepresentation worse. 

FACT

People with Down syndrome should control their own narrative and be able to decide how they are represented, just like anyone else. 

Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always existed and is universal across racial, gender, and        socio-economic lines. Down syndrome is associated with chromosome 21 and there are three types: Trisomy 21, Translocation, and Mosaicism.

Down syndrome cannot be caused by any medication.

FACT

Down syndrome has a cause, like taking a certain medication, and it can be cured.

MISINFORMATION

MISINFORMATION

A life with Down syndrome is not worth living because of health issues and ability limitiations.

FACT

Down syndrome effects everyone differently. Each person with Down syndrome will have their own strengths, likes, dislikes, talents, personality, and temperament, just like anyone else.

People with Down syndrome have lives as varied as neurotypical people and should be valued on who they are, not what they can accomplish.

Most health issues associated with people with Down syndrome also occur in the general population and in many cases can be successfully treated and managed by careful monitoring.

Listen to Lived Experience

There is no better way to learn about a disability than by listening to a person who lives with it!

CDSS works alongside Canadians with Down syndrome to remove societal barriers and create opportunities for full participation in education, employment, and recreation.

But we cannot create meaningful change without you.

Your donation today will help to empower self-advocates to shape their own future.

Unified Voices

Travel into the heart of communities across Canada to discover what it means to live with Down syndrome. You'll meet six different families with very different backgrounds that have shaped their lives and the communities they live in.

A Short Canadian Documentary

and I Want to Be Heard