Down Syndrome Indiana Launches Awareness Campaign

Down Syndrome Indiana (DSI), an Indianapolis-based not-for-profit that seeks to enhance the lives of people with Down syndrome, has launched an awareness campaign aimed at deconstructing negative stereotypes and replacing them with more positive perceptions of what it means to have Down syndrome.
 

The “Get to Know Me” campaign, which is scheduled to run throughout 2013, will be primarily focused in the social media and will tell the stories of Hoosiers with Down syndrome through photos, videos, and text. Creative elements of the campaign will highlight the diversity of personalities, talents, and abilities representative of the Down syndrome community.
 

“Personal stories seem to resonate more with audiences than facts and statistics,” says Lisa Wells, Down Syndrome Indiana’s executive director. “We’re not trying to make people experts on Down syndrome, we just want them to see it in a different light. We want to break some of the more harmful stereotypes that sometimes prevent people with Down syndrome from reaching their full potential.”

According to Wells, the campaign’s success would help DSI fulfill its mission to promote the growth and inclusion of people with Down syndrome within their local communities. “I’m confident that once people get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of people with Down syndrome, they will be more likely to consider them as candidates for friendship, employment, and higher education opportunities.”