As a society, we’re sensitive about the language we use about minority groups. So, this new poster, designed by Speech and Language Therapist Colette Lloyd, may be helpful for professionals who want to be sure that they’re getting it right when they’re talking about Down’s syndrome.
The idea behind the poster is to help everyone be more sensitive towards those who have Down’s syndrome because for those who live with Down’s syndrome it really is only an extra chromosome and doesn’t say much about their lives.
The central point the poster makes is;
“Imagine Sophie, who has Down’s syndrome, is in the room with you, what would you say?”
We tend to speak differently when we consider the effect our language has on others. We hope that the poster will inspire people’s language in future. Find out more at Down syndrome Language awareness
The poster has been endorsed by eight Down’s syndrome support organisations, and it’s very easy to use. Now it just has to be seen on all the right notice boards. So, if you’re someone with Down’s syndrome or someone’s parent, you could print off a copy of the poster and ask your Doctor, Social Worker or anyone else you can think of who might benefit from having it on display to put the poster up in the right place for people to see it. Language Awareness POSTER
