Simple-minded

Moscow and London discussed how to help people with Down syndrome

The Downside Up Charitable Foundation, the Russian Agency for International Information RIA-Novosti and the Foundation for the Support of Children in Difficult Life Situations helped connect specialists from Russia and the UK. Come to the round table...

The Downside Up Charitable Foundation, the Russian Agency for International Information RIA-Novosti and the Foundation for the Support of Children in Difficult Life Situations helped connect specialists from Russia and the UK.

The round table was attended by Russian and foreign experts, journalists, parents with children with Down syndrome. Veronica Garrett, founder of the Downside Up Charitable Foundation, and Suzanne Simon, PR manager of the Down Syndrome National Association, spoke via teleconference from London.

They discussed: social orphanhood of children with Down syndrome, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the right of a disabled child to a family and education, problems of integration into society and attitudes towards people with Down syndrome.

In the developed countries of Europe and America, the abandonment of these children does not exceed 5%; there is a system for selecting a foster or guardian family. In Russia, there is no state system of early assistance for children with Down syndrome at all. In most regions, such children cannot attend kindergartens and schools.

“The biggest problem today is that people with disabilities in Russia are treated as second-class citizens. A system of early support for such people is needed. If a child with Down syndrome does not receive help, he is doomed to a poor-quality life, says Natalia Karpovich, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children. “I stand for the possibility of inclusive education for children with Down syndrome and I can say for sure: these are absolutely talented children.”

People with disabilities live differently abroad.
“A lot of British children with disabilities attend mainstream schools,” said Veronica Garrett, the mother of a girl with Down Syndrome. - Children are accepted in society, in the school where my daughter studies, there are seven such children. They get support."

“It's all about education law,” adds Suzanne Simon, “in our country, for example, the law helps children with Down syndrome integrate into society. The law says: these children have equal rights to education with all children. Now we see that people with Down syndrome who have achieved success in life are those who received early help.”

Nikita Panichev, a young man with Down syndrome, took part in the round table. He got his first role in the play Hamlet. A student of a pedagogical college, an actor in the Theater of the Innocent, created by director Igor Neupokoev, Nikita is a very modest and very charming guy. And the performances in which he and his friends play are very successful.

Alexander Lysenko, a member of the Council for the Disabled under the Chairman of the Federation Council, thanked Vladimir Mishukov for the publication in Novaya Gazeta and noted that "such publications successfully replace the work of 100 officials." He also noted that “it is necessary to change the legislation, because our society has lagged behind Europe for many years. 20% of the population of our country believe that people with disabilities are a burden on society. I don’t want this to happen in our country, we need to talk about it.”

“My wife and I are absolutely happy that such a person was born in our family,” admitted Vladimir Mishukov, photographer, author of projects about people with Down syndrome, father of four children, including a child with Down syndrome. - Parents must definitely show such a child, you need to go out boldly, not be afraid. You have to go to the sandboxes, to the parks, you just have to live. What is it for? In order to change the attitude imposed by the stereotype. You can only change by seeing these children.”