'Here I Am' photo gallery showcases older Canadians with Down syndrome
'Here I Am' photo gallery showcases older Canadians with Down syndrome
The Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) is sharing a new awareness campaign featuring photos of older people with Down syndrome.
The 'Here I Am' photo gallery was launched today, to mark World Down Syndrome Day, and showcases portraits of older Canadians living with the condition.
"People age 40 and over are hugely underrepresented in all aspects of media, social media pictures, they're just not visible," Laura Lachance, executive director of CDSS told CTV's Your Morning on Tuesday. "So we embarked on this campaign to bring these faces to the front."
According to the organization, the life expectancy of Canadians with Down syndrome has doubled in the past 40 years, from 25 years in 1983, to more than 60 years in 2023.
"What's changed is advances in medical technology, both in diagnostics and in treatment," Lachance said. "So a lot of children who used to die in their early years are now surviving, taking advantage of all the interventions and living a long healthy life."
Although many are living into adult life, Lachance said the challenge of finding caregivers who understand Down syndrome remains.
"As more of the Boomer parents are living longer, there's going to have to be some kind of initiative by employers to perhaps take a look at how they can support their employees who need to take time away from work or work differently in order to care for their loved one," Lachance said.
The photo gallery features only people over the age of 40 who are living with Down syndrome. The portraits were captured by Hilary Gauld from One for the Wall and CDSS.
Hear the full interview with Lachance by clicking the video at the top of this article.
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