Advocating for Individuals with Down Syndrome at the United Nations

Mark Bradford, the Word on Fire Institute’s Fellow for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, spoke at the United Nations headquarters in New York on March 21, 2024 as part of a panel presentation at the 13th World Down Syndrome Day Conference to promote the dignity of individuals with Down syndrome.
The panel event, entitled Celebrating Ability: Investing in and Accompanying Children and Adults with Down Syndrome and Their Families, was facilitated by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and the Center for Family and Human Rights. It featured a lineup of experts and advocates who highlighted the social support that persons with Down syndrome need to thrive and contribute to society, as well as the gaps and challenges in ensuring an inclusive and welcoming society for all those with Down syndrome.

“Sixty-three percent of the members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend or would recommend termination for a prenatal diagnosis for a condition that is compatible with life—not one that is incompatible with life, but one that a family might see as inconvenient,” Bradford said. “It’s critical at this moment that we advocate on behalf of these individuals to ensure their lives and their productive and respected and welcomed value in the societies in which we live.”
Click here to watch Mark’s segment (begins around 53:00) and please consider making a donation to support the Word on Fire Institute’s Fellowship for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Support the Fellowship for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Help support this Fellowship’s vital work of inviting our brothers and sisters with intellectual and developmental disabilities into the Church’s evangelization efforts.
This is an ambitious endeavor, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to raise awareness, build community, learn, and grow as a people of faith.
A central task of this Fellowship is to create and develop evangelization and catechetical resources, materials, and opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to establish a community of support for families whose loved ones are living with an intellectual or developmental disability within the broader Word on Fire community.
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