[In 1999, a genetics counselor told us] that our child would never be able to read, write, or count change. –Mother of a young adult with Down syndrome
I was completely frightened when I was given the news, [but our son with Down syndrome has] done everything they said he wouldn’t do and more. –Mother in Massachusetts
We don’t want a world where parents feel driven to justify their children’s existence. –Sam Brownback, U.S. Senator (R–Kan.)
I’ve been [posting] on YouTube and TikTok. [And] I was thinking to get a car [and driver’s license] so if my mom needs something, I can go get it. [And] I’ve been doing a lot of makeup [at my mom’s beauty salon], and I think I could do makeup and clothing full time. –Remi Nguyen, BridgingApps client and young adult with Down syndrome
Down Syndrome 101
When a person’s genetic makeup includes three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two, the person has Down syndrome. (Hence, World Down Syndrome Day is March 21, or “3/21.”)
Common symptoms of Down syndrome include:
- A flat nose
- An eyelid fold that gives the eyes a “slanted” appearance
- Low muscle tone
- Smaller-than-average body features, including short arms, legs, and neck
- Mild to moderate learning difficulties
Sadly, the larger world may assume that “learning difficulties” means “can’t learn anything.” Which is why having Down syndrome has often meant being treated as a guilty secret, a burden, or at best an oversized toddler. Which keeps many people from learning, and growing, and contributing. In the end, society is poorer for it.
Society is learning better. Traditionally, the only jobs available for people with Down syndrome were in “sheltered workshops”—programs that hired disabled workers to do assembly-line work at extremely low wages. Now, a growing number of college and job-training programs accept people with Down syndrome, opening new doors for finding their talents and becoming the best workers/citizens/achievers they can be.
Much remains to be done, however. A 2022 journalism project found that the majority of disabled workers in Missouri still believed that sheltered workshops were their only option for long-term work. Not that mainstream jobs weren’t available, but that they didn’t provide enough accommodations, or that other workers were unsupportive.
Client Story from BridgingApps
Many people with Down syndrome are growing their skills through our BridgingApps and Easter Seals Greater Houston programs. Below, Digital Learning Specialist Tara Rocha shares one client’s journey.
Tara: Remi Nguyen [age 25] has done all the programs at GiGi’s Playhouse, including GiGi University [for career development]. She still goes to GiGi’s for evening social programs.
Yumi Matsushima [Remi’s mother]: She also goes to 18 and Beyond every day. And then in the afternoon, she goes to Special Olympics practice.
Remi: My favorite sport would be swimming.
Tara: Remi loves to be social. She also likes to do things with technology. She’s completed our Comcast Digital Skills training, earning certifications including Computer Basics and Email Basics.
And she’s taught herself some technological tricks. I remember once she couldn’t join my Teams call—so she created her own, and invited me. She’s attended classes virtually, and now she can join our Young Adult and Parent Open Labs from home or work. [The Open Labs recently moved from exclusively in-person to hybrid format.]
Plus, she has her own YouTube channel and creates instructional videos, including videos on some of the things she learned at GiGi’s. Like cooking.
Remi: I have a video of making my own peanut-butter-ball things.
Yumi: And of making a foaming fancy coffee.
She also helps me at work [in the salon] every Saturday. Folds the towels and sweeps up the hair clippings.
Tara: Remi’s hoping to someday have her own clients and do things like their makeup. Maybe that will be in future video performances. She’s already completed a résumé, with help from teacher Candace Danielson. I remember when Remi practiced her interview skills at GiGi University’s Mock Interview Day.
Goal: A World of Opportunities
Remi is one of many whose Down syndrome hasn’t stopped them from getting an education and planning a career. Thousands of others just need the right opportunities and a little encouragement.
On Down Syndrome Day 2025, take some time (how about starting at 3:21 in the afternoon?) to look up what else people with Down syndrome are doing. Also, take time to share their accomplishments and opportunities with your friends.