When I talk to parents or professionals, I often give examples of discrimination against individuals with Down syndrome β the Federal Government lack of funding ; the medical community refusal to provide medical solutions, uninformed bias for termination ; educators not in my classroom! Inevitably people ask me why we as a society have allowed so much discrimination against these individuals.
And the answer is the same underlying motivation for any bigotry or prejudice: ignorance. Most people who discriminate against people with Down syndrome do so because they have been provided outdated, inaccurate information about the condition. Before the s, the overwhelming majority of people with Down syndrome in the United States were placed in institutions, often times as infants or young children.
Because of neglect, abuse, and lack of access to education and medical care, people with Down syndrome would die an early death in these institutions. In the s the average life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome was only 28 years old. During what I consider the dark ages for people with Down syndrome in this country, most professionals considered it impossible for people with Down syndrome to learn how to speak properly, let alone read and write.
It was assumed that people with Down syndrome would not walk properly, let alone participate in sports. They most likely could not dress, feed or take care of themselves, and were determined a burden to a marriage, siblings and a family. They were not allowed to attend public schools and most Americans believed they should not be allowed in public spaces such as movie theaters, malls or parks. They would die an early death and it was not blamed on institutionalization, it was simply Down syndrome.
The institutions were closed down, and it was now expected that people with Down syndrome would live at home, go to school and have fundamental human and civil rights. Today, the average lifespan of someone with Down syndrome is 60 years old. In the last three decades since the dismantling of institutions, and with the advent of legislation including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the American with Disabilities Act, lifespan is not the only thing that has dramatically changed for people with Down syndrome.
