A powerful new photo essay from the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) is helping Canadian seniors and adults with Down syndrome issue a bold declaration: “Here I Am.”
That’s the name of the essay, shot by photographer Hilary Gauld, which aims to debunk one of the prevailing myths about people with Down syndrome: that they do not live into their senior years. The fact is that life expectancy for Canadians with the condition has more than doubled over the past 40 years, from 25 years in 1983 to more than 60 years today.
“After photographing Canadians with Down syndrome and their caregivers for almost a decade, adults with Down syndrome over the age of 40 have continued to be the least represented,” explains Gauld. “While statistics show that the average life expectancy has increased for people with Down syndrome, the visibility of seniors and elders remains limited.”
The photo essay, available via a microsite, is the CDSS’ latest pairing with Gauld, who worked with the organization last year in a similar capacity, aiming to showcase the many different forms of love that people with Down syndrome experience in their lives. As love for people with Down syndrome is not frequently depicted or discussed, the same can be said for aging.
But the essay also aims to shine a spotlight on a developing crisis in the country, with respect to the unsustainable amount of unpaid caregiving in Canada. According to Rexall, 75% of caregiving in this country is done by unpaid people, and as they age, people living with Down syndrome are at higher risk of health conditions that require additional care, such as Alzheimer’s.
“Aging Canadians with Down syndrome should have comprehensive, unbiased information about aging issues, and have access to all of the government support that is available to them,” says Laura LaChance, executive director of the CDSS. “No parent should be left asking ‘who will provide care for my child once I’m gone?’ This photo essay raises awareness and challenges the stereotype that people with Down syndrome don’t live long lives.”
The essay is being supported through social media, email communications, paid advertising on Facebook and Google, PR and a strategic SEO plan to improve image searches, as well as through the CDSS’ network of Down syndrome organizations. Glossy handled the PR.