COVID-19 response

DSi is working hard to respond to the evolving situation with COVID-19 and support our members and the global Down syndrome community during these difficult times.

Our response includes:

Compiling and sharing information

We have been compiling and sharing up-to-date and accurate information on COVID-19 and appropriate responses to it.

We have created a dedicated area on our website for information and resources related to people with Down syndrome and COVID-19:

COVID-19 FAQ's

COVID vaccination advocacy toolkit

We have produced a COVID-19 vaccination advocacy toolkit to help our supporters advocate for the necessary prioritisation of people with Down syndrome in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in countries worldwide.

The toolkit includes:

what we can do together to create a united global voice;
potential advocacy activities;
evidence to support the prioritisation of people with Down syndrome;
what health and research organisations are doing;
what disability and advocacy organisations are doing;
supporting materials including letter templates.

If you would like to access this toolkit please complete the COVID-19 response updates form:

Gathering experiences and evidence

We are working with our member organisations to gather experiences of people with Down syndrome, families and advocates and other evidence of what is happening related to COVID-19 around the world. This includes:

The availability of information in accessible formats;
How people with Down syndrome and their families are being included in responses to the crisis;
Impact of quarantines on people with Down syndrome and their families;
Support available for people with Down syndrome and their families during the crisis;
Provision of healthcare for people with Down syndrome affected by COVID-19.

It is very important that the rights of people with Down syndrome are respected, protected and fulfilled. Read more about this here:

COVID-19 FAQ's

If you have information to share about your experiences or the situation in your country, please contact your national Down syndrome organisation or contact us directly:

Send email

International collaboration

We are working with the international disability community and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) to ensure a disability inclusive response to the COVID-19 crisis.

An example of a recent action is supporting IDA to take a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) advocating for actions to address discrimination in medical responses to COVID-19 on the basis of disability.

This resulted in a response from the Director General of WHO calling on governments to ensure this discrimination does not happen. Click here to read more about the letter and response:

LETTER TO WHO

Support for member organisations

We are working with our member organisations to identify the challenges they are facing and the support they need in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in their countries.

We are running a series of webinars with our member organisations both to discuss the challenges and to deliver training on topics that can help them at this time.

Member organisations can register to participate in future webinars via the events area of the website. Recordings of previous webinars are also available to view in this area.

DSi EVENTS

Our work

Project updates

Read our latest project updates in our Global Support blog:

GLOBAL SUPPORT BLOG

Donate

Donate today to help us to continue our vital work:

DONATE TODAY

Latest

Employment advocacy success in Bangladesh

Two self-advocates with Down syndrome have been employed following Bangladesh employment advocacy campaign.
DSi education guidelines now available in Albanian

DSi would like to thank our members Down Syndrome Albania Foundation, Jonathan Center and Down Syndrome Kosovo for translating the original version from English.
International Day of Education

“If we are to transform the future, if we are to change course, we must rethink education.” We are working with our member organisations to "rethink" education and bring about positive change for all.
Global Disability Summit 2022

The International Disability Alliance (IDA), the Government of Norway, and the Government of Ghana will host the second Global Disability Summit on 16 and 17 February 2022 (GDS22). The Summit will be mainly virtual.

World Down Syndrome Day

21 March is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), the day that the Down syndrome community creates a single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome.
Inclusive education: a pilot study in the UK

We are working in collaboration with the Down’s Syndrome Association (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Down's Syndrome Scotland, to promote quality, inclusive education for all learners in the United Kingdom including learners with Down syndrome.
Listen Include Respect

We are developing guidelines with Inclusion International on the inclusive participation of people with intellectual disabilities.
Employment advocacy in Africa

We are training Down syndrome organisations in Africa to support self-advocates to fight for employment opportunities.
Inclusive participation

We are developing guidelines with Inclusion International on the inclusive participation of people with intellectual disabilities.
UAE self-advocacy

We are supporting Emirates Down Syndrome Association to start and run a self-advocacy group for people with Down syndrome.
World Down Syndrome Congress Dubai 2021

World Down Syndrome Congress 2021 will be held virtually between 18-20 November 2021, hosted by Emirates Down Syndrome Association.
Education Guidelines

Through our international guidelines and wider education activities, we are enabling people with Down syndrome to achieve their full potential.
Bangladesh self-advocacy

We are supporting people with Down syndrome in Bangladesh to start and run a self-advocacy group.
Rwanda organisation support

We supported the establishment of Rwanda Down Syndrome Organisation (RDSO) and we are now helping them to develop their activities and grow as an organisation.