Put your best foot forward
Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with crazy socks
As a parent of a daughter with Down syndrome, I have the same hopes, dreams and aspiration for my daughter as I do for my other children who do not have the same diagnosis.
I have come to realize, a life lived independently is not out of reach: school, a job, friends, even a life partner. Regardless of her intellectual capacity, she has the same human needs for connection, selfexpression and living with purpose as everyone else. I see her future as very bright, one where she is happy doing whatever it is she loves to do. And isn’t that what every mother wants for her child?
March 21, or 3-21, is a symbolic date to celebrate people with Down syndrome and those who live and work with them throughout the world. The date, 3-21 represents Trisomy 21, the medical term for Down syndrome, which is the third replication of the 21st chromosome.
First observed in 2006 by Down Syndrome International, March 21 was officially declared World Down Syndrome Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011. Events all around the world happen on this day to raise awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome.
As part of the celebration around the world, people are encouraged to wear crazy socks. The crazy sock initiative was formed to get people talking and asking questions about Down Syndrome. The idea is to wear brightly colored, mismatched, long, printed socks — or even layer three socks, one for each chromosome. Why socks you ask? The striped long socks resemble chromosomes, and who doesn’t love a pair of crazy socks!?
As part of the crazy sock initiative, the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma is celebrating World Down Syndrome Day with a “Knock Your Socks Off” awareness campaign.
We are asking members of the community to wear crazy socks and tag DSACO on social media using #Crazy4DSACO. The idea is to bring the community together on this one day to celebrate what we consider to be a day of acceptance and inclusion. People with Down syndrome can bring so much to the community, wherever they live around the world when given the opportunity. As a society, it is up to us to showcase their abilities and create meaningful opportunities for these individuals.
So grab a pair of socks and join us as we tell the story to accept, respect and include those with Down syndrome in our communities.
The mission of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma is to raise awareness and provide resources, as well as promote acceptance and inclusion for people with Down syndrome. We do this through a variety of family-oriented events, educational workshops, and community awareness campaigns. DSACO envisions communities where everyone — including those with disabilities — is accepted, included, empowered and given the opportunity and choice to create their own happiness and path to success. For more information, go to www.dsaco.org.