Awareness
Perspective of GiGi’s Playhouse Changes for Volunteer Turned Board Member Who Loses Eyesight
It started with a message. One that really caught the attention of Chief Belief Officer, Nancy Gianni. Enough so that Nancy shared it with a small group of story gatherers at GiGi’s Playhouse headquarters. It is not often that people start volunteering that they find themselves experiencing some of the same challenges as those they…
Read MoreParent Profile: Amelia Ramirez on Motherhood and the Blessings of Down Syndrome
Motherhood speaks to the core of what it means to be alive. Just spending three minutes alone with a toddler, can cause a mother to experience a complete range of human emotions including happiness, love, fear, stress, anxiety, sadness, wonder, and utter panic! We interviewed GiGi’s Playhouse mom, Amelia Ramirez, to get her thoughts on…
Read MoreNational Volunteer Month 2022: Volunteers are Paramount in Helping us Change the Way the World Views Down Syndrome
April is National Volunteer Month! As an organization that is 99% volunteer-run, GiGi’s Playhouse is grateful for the opportunity this month offers to acknowledge and thank the countless volunteers who have helped us empower the Down syndrome community and promote global acceptance of our friends living with an extra chromosome. “Through her [Jill Rabin], my…
Read MoreDear Autism
The following is a guest post Dear Autism, I saw you long before I acknowledged your existence. I witnessed you when Judah shook his Melissa and Doug duster and how he searched relentlessly for it every day. I skeptically enjoyed the way he mimicked all of his shows, suspecting that you were right around the…
Read MoreYour advocacy is making a difference!
The Down Syndrome Coalition, along with our colleagues from the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (DSDN), Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA (DSMIG), International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association (IMDSA), and National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG), and in partnership with our self-advocates and families, succeeded in removing discriminatory language from an important healthcare…
Read MoreTo Fully Celebrate Diversity, We Must Understand Intersectionality
Intersectionality certainly turns the chessboard of diversity into one that is multi-dimensional. Without intersectionality, diversity becomes a singular layer where people of that category of equality are myopically fighting for their own piece of discriminatory turf. The basis for intersectionality is how various portions of an individual’s makeup can be discriminated against – with adverse…
Read MoreBarry Books and Cooks Inspiration at 60!
At 60 years of age, Barry Burris is the oldest participant at GiGi’s Playhouse in Fort Meyers, Florida. A few years ago, Barry decided to improve his literacy skills. He was a level two reader at the time and had not received any formal literacy instruction since high school. With help from GiGi’s Playhouse One-On-One…
Read MoreHappiness and Down syndrome
Many people have the misperception that individuals with Down syndrome are always happy. I have a few thoughts about happiness and Down syndrome. First, if you think this, then you’ve probably never interacted with a hormonal teenager with Down syndrome. Jade, like most people, experiences a broad range of emotions, including anger, sadness, annoyance, disappointment,…
Read MoreSustainability against all odds
Whenever I read that quote, I get a flutter of excitement in my stomach and a sick feeling at that same time! Absence of fear?? It was the fear of watching 17 years of groundbreaking work crumble that propelled me to action throughout 2020 and catapulted us into 2021! When people were talking about binge-watching…
Read MoreA Black Mother’s Journey with a Son with Down Syndrome
A Black Mother’s Journey with a Son with Down Syndrome Meet Meeka Caldwell and her son, Anian. Meeka is a wife, mother, author, and dedicated advocate in the Down syndrome community. Anian is a curious 6 year old who loves people and loves to help others. He is a problem solver, has a great…
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