World Down Syndrome Day Observed, Ministry of Education Promotes Awareness

Today is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), a day dedicated to bringing awareness to Down Syndrome and the many challenges faced by those who have it and their families. Down Syndrome is caused by an imbalance of the chromosomes in the body that produces distinct physical features and causes varying degrees of learning and physical disability. Over the past few years, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has been encouraging awareness campaigns in schools and businesses to highlight the day. Shantell Yearwood, Special Education Officer at the Ministry says gave more details on the condition which is close to her hear because of a relative. 

Shantell Yearwood, Special Education Officer, MOEST: “Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder and the chromosomes, what happens there is a duplication. Everybody has 46 chromosomes.  In Down Syndrome,we call it Trisomy 21. There is a duplication on the 21st chromosome. So if you see somebody with Down Syndrome it’s very unique because regardless of their race you’re going to notice some specific features. They have slanted eyes, you might notice, so they look similar.  And so the extra chromosome is responsible for the characteristics that you see and it’s also responsible for the intellectual impairment that comes along with a person who has Down syndrome. Down syndrome, like you rightfully said, it is a range. So you may have somebody with mild Down Syndrome and you may have somebody that is profound.  What that refers to is the level of intellectual impairment that that individual has. For example, I have a little sister. She is 41. Hi, Natty !  She has Down syndrome. She has mild Down syndrome.  You will notice that she can express herself but she does have some expressive issues and the further you go on that spectrum, then your intellectual capacity is severely affected, right?  That there may be people with Down syndrome who are severe, who might not be able to hold a conversation with you at all, who might need somebody to help take care of their needs because they’re not able to do that for themselves.”

All over social media, people have been posting pictures of them wearing brightly colored mismatched socks as one of the main awareness campaigns for the day. While wearing the socks is an important tool in the campaign, Yearwood says the most important thing is the conversation that the socks help to start.

Shantell Yearwood, Special Education Officer, MOEST: “For some years now we have been “rocking our socks” that’s what we call it, right?  And everybody jumps on this campaign with us and we see everybody out there wearing their socks to bring awareness. I have two children. I also have my niece and I have others, right? But in particular, I’m mentioning them because they’re at the primary school level and when they wear their socks they know why they’re wearing their socks. It’s to spread awareness about what Down Syndrome is, what a person who lives with Down Syndrome experiences. But they’re also able to stay apart from the socks looking all cute and pretty and weird  it’s because the socks is symbolic of the chromosome, the shape of the chromosome. And remember I said initially that Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that affects the 21st chromosome. And so the shape of the socks is indicative of that and so that’s why we use the socks to give that idea that, it’s symbolic, when I look at that, I can actually see the shape of what the socks is. And then it’s supposed to incite a conversation like “hey, why are you wearing those brightly colored socks and they’re mismatched?” And some people go to the extent of making them funny and then you can then educate and sensitize people and say “you know what it’s deeper than that.  It’s about awareness, it’s about understanding what’s going on with a person who lives with Down syndrome, what they have to experience and how they are able to navigate this world and more importantly  what role I play in helping them to navigate this world.”

World Down Syndrome Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021. It is observed on March 21 to highlight the 21st chromosome that causes Down Syndrome.