Down Syndrome Experts, Amy Allison and Stephanie Meredith, Share a New Vision of Down Syndrome in Russia as Part of the State Department US Speakers Program

Atlanta, GA, October 12, 2011 --(PR.com)-- This past week, Down syndrome experts, Amy Allison and Stephanie Meredith, traveled to Russia as part of the prestigious State department funded US speakers program to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Down syndrome in the US today. Allison is the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City, and Meredith is Canister's author of "Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis."

Although conditions are improving, statistics from a leading Down syndrome charity in Russia, Downside Up, show that 85% of Russian children with Down syndrome are abandoned in orphanages, and 75% die before they reach the age of 18. Moreover, children with Down syndrome are most often schooled at home or in special schools, although Moscow passed an unfunded law this year to educate children with Down syndrome in integrated schools.

In contrast, there is a registry of nearly 250 parents in the US interested in adopting children with Down syndrome, and a recent survey by Dr. Brian Skotko and Sue Levine indicates that 79% of parents who have a child with Down syndrome say their outlook on life is more positive because of them. In addition, the life expectancy for the estimated 400,000 Americans with Down syndrome has nearly doubled to age 60 over the past 30 years. Public education has also been available to children with Down syndrome in the US since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed in 1975, and the majority of American children with Down syndrome are now educated among their peers in an inclusive setting.

The international diplomacy trip was organized at the request of Sun Kids, an emerging Down syndrome parent group in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and it included presentations and meetings in Moscow and Yekaterinburg with local charities, parent groups, government officials (including the Ministry of Social Service, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health from the Ural region), the Russian media, and university directors of medicine and special education. Because of the work done by Sun Kids in the past 3 years, the institutionalization rate has dropped nearly 25% in Yekaterinburg.

Meredith, who has worked with Downside Up for the past 10 years and coordinated the translation of "Babies with Down syndrome," said, "It was clear that the parents, officials, and university leaders in Russia are dedicated to progress in this area; they just need more resources and information about what the models look like for successful healthcare, education, community, and medical outreach programs. This was a long, arduous process in the US, and our goal is to ease their path so they can move forward more quickly to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome in Russia."

Allison, who has participated in educational teleconferences with Sun Kids for the past two years, adds that, "By providing them with models of how we progressed from institutionalization to inclusion in the US, our hope is that they can move forward much more quickly and avoid some of the missteps made along our journey here. People with Down syndrome add tremendous diversity and joy to their communities, and all individuals with Down syndrome around the globe are entitled to loving families, education, proper healthcare, and appreciation as valued members of society."

The collaboration is expected to continue indefinitely with future teleconferences, exhibitions, organized visits, and resource sharing.

About the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City
The Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support and resources for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. DSG seeks to provide the entire community with information and education to broaden awareness and foster positive attitudes regarding people with Down syndrome.
www.kcdsg.org
913-384-4848

About Canister
Canister is an independently owned, creative agency located near Atlanta, Georgia that is also dedicated to philanthropy to evolve social perceptions of health, disability, and art. For over a decade, Canister has developed a portfolio that includes brand, print, interactive, web, and international design.
www.canisterstudio.com

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