World Down Syndrome Day celebrated on Vancouver Island
Ribbons and pictures line a portion of the Gorge waterway in Saanich, B.C., put there by the Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day.
The blue and yellow ribbons represent the colours used to bring awareness to the rights and needs of those living the syndrome.
The pictures are those of children and youth with living happy lives.
Held on March 21 since 2012, this year marks 11 years since the United Nations started the campaign. The date of the 21st day of the third month represents the one trait all individuals with Down syndrome have, which is a third copy of the 21st chromosome.
This years campaign is called "With Us Not For Us."
"Often times in the disability community, well-meaning people want to do things for people that are disabled,” Paul Crowley, president of the Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society, says.
"What the Down syndrome community wants you to hear is that they want support to be able to do things for themselves, so they want that support to be able to go out and find a job, to live independently and do those types of things."
Crowley said the lives of those with down syndrome are improving.
Forty years ago, the average life expectancy for people with Down syndrome was 25 years. Crowley says they now have a life expectancy of 60 years.
There has also been a focus on inclusion in education, employment, housing and other areas that has allowed individuals to live much more independent lives, he added.
“Often times individuals with Down syndrome are considered to not be able to respond, not be able to contribute, not given the opportunity,” he said.
“We ask people to kind of wait 10 seconds when you talk to somebody or ask them a question so that they have a chance to respond because if you do you’ll be amazed at what they can contribute."
The B.C. Legislature, Victoria City Hall and Saanich Municipal Hall will be lit up Tuesday evening in blue and yellow to show support for those living with Down syndrome.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.