CHARLOTTE, Mich. (WLNS) — A lady with Down syndrome from Charlotte, Michigan was featured final week on the jumbo display in Occasions Sq. as a part of a marketing campaign highlighting the significance of visibility inside the disabled neighborhood.
Susan Williams and her daughter, Carly Skogard, say Carly’s photograph was chosen by the Nationwide Down Syndrome Society from a whole bunch of submissions. The picture appeared on the Jumbotron in Occasions Sq. in the course of the group’s annual occasion.
“We submitted her photo, and it was one of 500 chosen to represent the NDSS this year on the Jumbotron at Times Square,” Williams stated.
(Susan WIlliams)
Though the household couldn’t attend the occasion in individual, Williams stated it was an honor to be chosen. “We definitely did get to celebrate at home,” she stated. “We were jumping around and yelling ‘woohoo’ and all that kind of stuff, weren’t we?” Carly responded, “Yeah!”
Williams stated it will be significant for the neighborhood to see folks with Down syndrome in a optimistic mild. She famous that, not that way back, youngsters with Down syndrome had been typically institutionalized and separated from their households.
“We like to think that’s a long time ago, but it really wasn’t,” she stated. “It’s only in recent history that people with Down syndrome are able to attend schools right along with their typically-developing peers and learn alongside them.”
She hopes her daughter’s photograph will assist open up conversations about inclusivity for folks with disabilities.
“It definitely felt heartwarming to see her up there and know that she is helping make space for other people, not only with Down syndrome, but with all disabilities,” Williams stated.
Carly’s photograph was additionally proven throughout Buddy Stroll, an annual occasion that promotes consciousness for folks with Down syndrome and different disabilities.
