CuriositiesAUG 11, 2020

Woman With Down Syndrome Points Out Things About Having Down Syndrome That Don’t Make Sense And It’s Super Informative

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It’s amazing when companies and organizations know how to use their social media effectively. It’s not just about sharing articles and advertising whatever products you have, but also engaging with your audience and educating them—making their social media experience fuller and more meaningful.

It’s especially effective when you manage to reach people on platforms that supposedly have a drastically different audience. The National Down Syndrome Society, or NDSS, has been making rounds around the internet with a video that they have uploaded onto their TikTok account. One that has more of an educational content, tackling social and other issues.

It's amazing to see when human rights organizations use social media to educate people

So, the NDSS is a human rights organization that fights for all individuals with Down syndrome in hopes of building a world where all those afflicted by this syndrome would have the opportunities to enhance their quality of life, realize their life’s aspirations and become valued members of society.

They recently posted a video on their TikTok account of a woman with Down syndrome giving a brief rundown on all of the things that don’t make sense with regards to having Down syndrome. And these are things that have left many on the internet quite surprised.

This video by the NDSS pointed out the things that don't make sense when having the disorder

Image credits: NDSS

As it turns out, people with Down syndrome have a number of obstacles that they have to deal with on a systematic level, namely being paid subminimum wage, not being able to get married, or else they lose their healthcare and other support benefits, being denied organ transplant, and the fact that police officers are not trained to deal with people with Down syndrome properly, which led to the death of a man who was suffering from it.

Each of these have historical explanations and some rationale to exist, like sub-minimum wage being designed as a transitional step for disabled war veterans who would most likely need to have to learn a new trade and the sub-minimum is a way of compensating private companies for providing a job as well as a learning opportunity, like an internship. They would eventually “graduate” to full pay once they are done with their training.

It explains a number of structural issues that those with Down syndrome have to face in the US

Image credits: NDSS

Or, for example, the rationale behind the loss of support upon marriage is justified with the fact that the spouse will most likely be able to support their significant other with Down syndrome. However, some laws overstayed their welcome as times changed and others simply begged the question of whether this ensures equality among humans.

So, the NDSS drew people’s attention to these issues, and this time they’ve used TikTok to get the message across. The video managed to get over 2.6 million views in mere days, and was soon reposted by a Twitter user where it got another 1.9 million.

This includes work for sub-minimum wage, losing support when married, and being denied organ transplant

Image credits: NDSS

Many were surprised, if not quite shocked, to learn of these facts, especially the one with the sub-minimum. As if minimum wage wasn’t bad enough. Others were thankful that videos of such caliber are surfacing and shedding light on a syndrome that isn’t covered enough.

At the moment, even though the NDSS has just started using its TikTok account for educational purposes, it already has over 56,000 followers and videos that rack up thousands if not millions of views.

The video was originally posted on NDSS' TikTok, but soon found its way to Twitter

Image credits: NDSS

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes a number of symptoms, both physical and mental. There are three types of Down syndrome with varying degrees of severity, meaning that they may live to have a fulfilling and meaningful life.

If you want to learn more about Down syndrome, the issues surrounding it and more, you can find more information on the NDSS website and follow their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. But before you go, let us know what you thought about this in the comments section below!