Fun stuff for
Adults
Be Inspired
You can do and be anything you set your mind to. See how other people with Down syndrome are chasing dreams, living life, and not letting anything hold them back!
Champions
Watch this feel-good comedy film, starring a diverse cast of interabled actors.
Streaming free on Peacock.
Down Syndrome in a Small Town (Being Me: Rufus)
Hear what life is like for a young man with Down syndrome in a small town.
Defying Expectations
Hear from a Puerto Rican couple with Down syndrome who are chasing their dreams
Inspiring Stories
…from people just like you.
Zack Gottsagen
“I hope I can change the world for people like myself.”
Zack Gottsagen made history at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. He became the first actor with Down’s syndrome to present an Oscar. A huge barrier-shattering moment, his presence on stage was a welcome sight.
Collette Divitto
“I was…determined to show everyone how capable people with (dis)abilities are.”
Collette decided to turn her passion for baking into a business, and founded Collettey’s Cookies.
Bridget Brown
“I have never let the fact that I have Down Syndrome stop me from dreaming about what I want to do in my life.”
Bridget Brown is a self-advocate who is a national public speaker and a champion for inclusion in school and in our communities.
-
Bridget Brown – Self-Advocate Vice President
My saying is:
“HOPE GIVES US THE COURAGE TO TAKE A CHANCE ON OUR FUTURE.”
Bridget is a young woman with Down syndrome who encourages people to “DWELL IN THE POSSIBILITIES.” A recipient of many state and national awards and a frequent public speaker, she is a strong advocate of inclusive education and community living and helps people open their minds, hearts and doors to include people of different abilities. At NADS, Bridget helped start the public speaker training program and the self-advocacy group (SAIA).
She is an actress, a trainer and a person-centered planning coach also serves as an advisory member of the GOING HOME COALITION, The Adult Down Syndrome Center, and The National Catholic Partnership on Disability. Bridget works as a dental health educator and transportation instructor for the PACE bus company.
-
“I was not only determined to show everyone how capable people with (dis)abilities are, but my mission is to open production facilities across the country and employ thousands of (dis)abled people! ONLY 17.5% people with disabilities were employed in 2015.” Most people with disabilities live on poverty level.”
Collette Divotto started a company called “Colletey’s Cookies” after many local bakeries denied her work. It has grown an impressive audience on Instagram, with nearly 50,000 followers.
Collette says she hopes to hire more staff with disabilities and give them good jobs with great wages.
-
In 2020, Zack Gottsagen made history at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. He became the first actor with Down’s syndrome to present an Oscar. A huge barrier-shattering moment, his presence on stage was a welcome sight.
Zack fought hard over the years to break into Hollywood, noting the lack of parts for Down syndrome actors.
Thanks to some incredible work behind the scenes he managed to get an indie movie produced with him as the starring role. The movie, Peanut Butter Falcon, became the highest-grossing independent movie of 2019.
Get Down with Sean And Marley
@GetDownwithSeanandMarley
500K+ subscribers 90+ videos
Be You. Be Independent.
You can achieve your dreams. One step at a time.
What’s your dream?
You’ve got this!
Going to college, getting a job, living on your own, and finding your soulmate are all big life steps, each with different challenges.
Going to College
What do you need to do to prepare yourself for the college life and make the most of it?
Getting a Job
What do you need to do to prepare yourself for employment?
Moving Out
What do you need to do to prepare yourself to live independently?
Dating & Relationships
How can you have healthy and fulfilling relationships that are good for you?
Be Heard
Your voice matters. You can use it to advocate for yourself and others in the Down syndrome community every day. Together, we can make a difference and build a more inclusive world for people of all abilities.
Hear from self-advocates around the world and learn how they’re using their voices.
Institute on Community Integration
Self-advocates from across the world tell us what self-advocacy means to them. From www.selfadvocacyonline.org at the Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.
“We’re more alike than different”
Our differences don’t have the power to slow us down.
People with Down syndrome make great employees, are honest and hardworking, have dreams and aspirations, and have more in common with you and I than we realize. Helping change these perceptions is the goal of the successful campaign from The National Down Syndrome Congress.
Get Connected
Access free educational, therapeutic-based, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community, through a replicable playhouse model.
Get Fit
Dance Workouts:
Walking workouts with different music playlists:
Low impact cardio with dance, boxing, zumba options
Yoga and pilates for different levels, no equipment
Strength Training for Athletes with Down Syndrome
This is a lower body workout that one of our Special Olympic Powerlifters, Cassidy, completes on a 3 or 4 day/week training schedule.
Be Healthy.
Get Connected.
Health is about more than hitting the gym! Plug into your community and move your muscles to keep your mind, body, and heart in shape.