The Canadian Down Syndrome Society’s (CDSS) national awareness initiative, ‘It Was Never Okay: Forward Not Backward,’ calls on Canadians to address systemic barriers that continue to impact people with Down syndrome.

The initiative, which launched Monday ahead of World Down Syndrome Day on Friday, features a photo series by photographer Hilary Gauld that showcases five side-by-side images highlighting critical advocacy issues affecting people with Down syndrome in Canada: Healthcare, education, employment, housing and recreation.

The CDSS cited alarming statistics and studies that provide urgency for the initiative, including a 2024 Statistics Canada study that found a lack of specialized research and training for health-care professionals limits the quality of care that people with Down syndrome receive. Another recent study, conducted by Canadian Human Right Commission and The Federal Housing Advocate monitoring project, found outdated perceptions about independent living and financial challenges limit housing choices for people with Down syndrome.

Laura LaChance, executive director of the CDSS, tells strategy the initiative is designed to capture public attention and engage Canadians in the political conversation ahead of the coming federal election and ultimately urge people to take action by signing a petition in support of these advocacy efforts.

“This year, we’ve seen a concerning trend – funding cuts to essential services that support people with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome,” LaChance says. “These cutbacks threaten access to education, housing, healthcare, employment and recreation, making it even more difficult for individuals with Down syndrome to fully participate in society.”

CDSS previously partnered with Gauld in 2023 for “Here I Am” and for 2022’s “Love Means…,” two initiatives that “focused on challenging outdated perceptions and advocating for inclusion,” LaChance says.

“‘It Was Never Okay: Forward Not Backward’ takes a more urgent and action-driven approach,” she says. “This year’s campaign is a direct response to the growing trend of funding cuts and policy shifts that threaten the rights and well-being of people with Down syndrome. With the upcoming federal election, we knew we had to go beyond awareness – we needed to mobilize Canadians to take tangible action.”

The media plan for the campaign includes social with Meta, along with Google search, print with The Globe and Mail and a 15-second radio spot with Corus, with Glossy leading PR. “One of CDSS’s key marketing challenges is ensuring that the rights and needs of people with Down syndrome remain top of mind for the general public – especially in a crowded media landscape where disability advocacy can sometimes be overlooked,” LaChance adds.

Previous CDSS campaigns include a 2023 effort called “Care Instructions,” a series of hero videos that provided simple POVs of parents speaking frankly and directly to their children, offering heartfelt encouragement for when sibling caregivers need to take over duties from their parents.

That campaign was informed by the fact that average life expectancy for Canadians with Down syndrome has more than doubled, from 25 in the early 1980s to around 60 now – meaning some could outlive their parents.

In previous work, the CDSS addressed the prevailing myth about how people with Down syndrome age.