The parent teacher association (PTA) arm of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria (DSFN) has urged stakeholders to urgently address discriminatory practices against persons with down syndrome and other disabilities.
The association made the call at a webinar hosted by DSFN to mark the 2024 World Down Syndrome Day, tagged ‘We all belong: Embrace, engage, end the stereotypes’.
Ugwuegbulam Ruth, vice-chairperson of the PTA, said children with down syndrome laugh, cry, learn and love like everyone else, and “they may take longer to achieve certain milestones”.
“We want to remind us to spread awareness that Down Syndrome is a condition that has to be managed to help the child live an almost independent life in the future,” she said.
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“I was a young mother who gave birth to my child when I was 24-years-old. Children with down syndrome are unusually born by mothers not having their child at an early age.”
She implored medical practitioners to acquire more knowledge about the condition because parents are oftentimes on the receiving end.
In a communique, Rose Mordi, DSFN national president; and Nike Dennis, the national administrator; said authorities should create a more inclusive and equitable society for people living with down syndrome and other disabilities.
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She noted that it is important to build a world where people with this condition are recognised for their outstanding abilities.
A panel discussion featuring Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, general manager of the Lagos Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA); Roy Brown, clinical and educational psychologist; Christiana Nwankwo, convener of the Ibadan Down Syndrome Parent Forum; Paul Ajuwon, inclusion advocate, global consultant and scholar; concluded that it is imperative to dismantle stereotypes around disabilities through concerted efforts.
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