Let’s stop talking about what makes us different in a negative way and start talking about what makes us unique and valued. This is one of the key messages Positive About Down syndrome is deploying to the public. Set up by Down Syndrome UK in 2017, the organization aims to spread Down syndrome positivity and help families in the UK and worldwide.

Positive about Down syndrome offers honest and open information about what it’s like to have someone with Down syndrome in your life, including how best to nurture, encourage and support children and young people with Down syndrome.

We went to PADS and asked about their aims and goals. They told us about how they’re striving to change society’s outdated narratives, and how the skills and unique features of people with Down syndrome are often overlooked. Farah Cutter, Marketing Manager at Positive about Down syndrome shared her perspective with us.

“As a new parent, I didn’t know what to expect having a child with Down syndrome, and that’s a major driving force of PADS, to help and reassure expectant and new parents know there is nothing to fear or worry about. We work hard to show people the realities of having a child with Down syndrome and to make sure no parent feels alone.”

“In fact, when you come across other families and see how they live their life with a family member who has Down syndrome, it’s not so different from any other typical child. As parents we love our children and work to meet their needs, whatever they may be because we love them, irrespective of the number of chromosomes they may have,” said Farah.

You can find many stories written by people with Down syndrome, friends and family members of people with Down syndrome, on the PADS website and social media, inspiring and informing many. PADS has online closed Facebook pages exclusively for expectant parents, new parents, and even one for Grandparents.

To help spread Down syndrome awareness and to reach as many people as possible, PADS holds events and campaigns which are open for community participation, like the following movement #PADSProud, that anyone could support using Twibbonize frames;

PADS Proud Photo Frame – by Positive about Down Syndrome

Link: twb.nz/padsproud

On World Down Syndrome Day 2022, PADS raised both awareness and funding through the Text-to-Donate PADS Proud Photo Frame.

Starting at the beginning of March, PADS used the campaign to count down to 21st March, World Down Syndrome 2022. Every day, people would post a photo of their loved one with Down syndrome and would show why they are #PADSProud. Each evening PADS posted 21 of these photos to spread joy around the Down syndrome community and show off the vast number of people who are #PADSProud.

PADS provided a simple and easy way for people to join the campaign, which was through a link which could add the above frame to a photo of their choice. There was an option to post the framed photo on social media, which again served the fabulous purpose of giving the campaign exposure to potentially hundreds of people at a time. Along with the use of the frame, PADS invited people to make a small donation by texting “WDSD to 70460” to donate £1.

“Every evening we shared 21 photos of people who shared their frame on social media, that created the momentum, so every night people saw all these pictures of PADS Proud, so it created greater awareness,” said Farah Cutter.

“It was a good way to combine awareness and fundraising efforts together using the Text-to-Donate and the frame,” Farah added.

We’d like to let you know that, although the PADS Proud campaign has ended, you can still join the PADS movement. There will be new campaigns in the future which you can of course find on Twibbonize. By joining and supporting any campaign held by PADS, you might enlighten and reassure others and create social change, leading the way to a build better world

Stay tuned on PADS’ social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for further updates on how you can contribute to spreading Down syndrome positivity more widely.