The more than 400,000 Americans with Down Syndrome have opportunities for many achievements, according to Jim Faber, president of the National Down Syndrome Congress.
On Friday, Jan. 6, Faber spoke at the Hannibal Arts Council Gallery during the opening reception for the traveling exhibit, “I Have a Voice.”
This exhibit features photos of children and adults with Down Syndrome. It also features art work by area people. The exhibit will continue at the HAC Gallery until Friday, Feb. 3. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Reporting some of the outstanding achievements of adults with Down Syndrome, Faber emphasized that with support and encouragement many can achieve their dreams. Among those he named was Karen Gaffney, who swam the English Channel, then Lake Tahoe and later swam around the main island in Hawaii.
Faber, of Denver, Colo., became involved in helping people with Down Syndrome nine years ago when his son, Alexander, was born. “He’s been the greatest blessing in my life,” he added.
Faber is grateful to be able to travel around the country to encourage the public to consider looking at people with disabilities of any kind without focusing on the disabilities but instead to emphasize their abilities.
“People are starting to realize we are more alike than different,” Faber said. “We need to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.”
He reported people with Down Syndrome are driving cars, living independently and some earn college degrees.
“Some become Eagle Scouts,” he noted, a rank that only 5 percent of the Boy Scouts in the nation achieve.
“It’s amazing what individuals with Down Syndrome are accomplishing,” Faber added. “They fly airplanes.
“There are a few common threads running through all these — no one ever said ‘you can’t.’
“They focused on their abilities not disabilities,” he continued. “They have positive reinforcement, (which is) not different from any of us.
“I don’t have all the answers.” Faber said. “I can’t guarantee all will swim the English Channel, but can guarantee all will achieve great heights if we support them and allow them to grow.”
Faber invited anyone desiring more information about the national congress to visit ndsccenter.org. He encouraged the public to become involved, and invited local people to join the Down Country organization that sponsored the exhibit, noting it is among more than 200 affiliated organizations.
He also invited people to attend the national convention in July in Washington, D.C., which he said the organization calls “our family reunion.”
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The more than 400,000 Americans with Down Syndrome have opportunities for many achievements, according to Jim Faber, president of the National Down Syndrome Congress.
On Friday, Jan. 6, Faber spoke at the Hannibal Arts Council Gallery during the opening reception for the traveling exhibit, “I Have a Voice.”
This exhibit features photos of children and adults with Down Syndrome. It also features art work by area people. The exhibit will continue at the HAC Gallery until Friday, Feb. 3. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Reporting some of the outstanding achievements of adults with Down Syndrome, Faber emphasized that with support and encouragement many can achieve their dreams. Among those he named was Karen Gaffney, who swam the English Channel, then Lake Tahoe and later swam around the main island in Hawaii.
Faber, of Denver, Colo., became involved in helping people with Down Syndrome nine years ago when his son, Alexander, was born. “He’s been the greatest blessing in my life,” he added.
Faber is grateful to be able to travel around the country to encourage the public to consider looking at people with disabilities of any kind without focusing on the disabilities but instead to emphasize their abilities.
“People are starting to realize we are more alike than different,” Faber said. “We need to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.”
He reported people with Down Syndrome are driving cars, living independently and some earn college degrees.
“Some become Eagle Scouts,” he noted, a rank that only 5 percent of the Boy Scouts in the nation achieve.
“It’s amazing what individuals with Down Syndrome are accomplishing,” Faber added. “They fly airplanes.
“There are a few common threads running through all these — no one ever said ‘you can’t.’
“They focused on their abilities not disabilities,” he continued. “They have positive reinforcement, (which is) not different from any of us.
“I don’t have all the answers.” Faber said. “I can’t guarantee all will swim the English Channel, but can guarantee all will achieve great heights if we support them and allow them to grow.”
Faber invited anyone desiring more information about the national congress to visit ndsccenter.org. He encouraged the public to become involved, and invited local people to join the Down Country organization that sponsored the exhibit, noting it is among more than 200 affiliated organizations.
He also invited people to attend the national convention in July in Washington, D.C., which he said the organization calls “our family reunion.”
Down Country organized for area families
Kate and Tony Dougherty of Taylor, Mo., are among the people involved in organizing the new Down Country organization for families of children with disabilities in the tri-state area.
Kate explained when their 3-year-old son, Elliott, “was born with Down Syndrome, people kept telling me they were sorry. That made me mad” because she had been trying to have a baby for some time. The family also includes Tony’s daughter, Olivia, 12; and Kate and Tony’s second child, Ella, 2.
Several years ago she taught at Hannibal High School. Now she has led the founding of Down Country which Kate emphasized “is not just for Down Syndrome, it’s for any disability or exceptional ability — 10 percent at either end of the learning curve.”
Down Country was organized on Sept. 14, 2011. It has two goals, to promote positive awareness for individuals with disabilities or exceptional abilities in the tri-state area and to help with education and training of teachers, therapists, administrators, doctors, nurses, support staff, families and rural residents working with people with disabilities or exceptional abilities.
In addition to Kate and Tony Dougherty, board members are Michael Holliday, Whitney Holliday, Clint Allen, Heather Allen, Daren Griesbaum, Melinda Griesbaum, Korey Shramek and Kim Triplett.
For more details call Kate at (217) 617-3568, e-mail info@upatdowncountry.com or see the website UpatDownCountry.com. The website provides more than 65 free audio workshops and also is linked to support groups, Kate said.
