A Year of Advocacy, Collaboration and Inclusion

What have we achieved? What have we learned?

The highs, the lows, the collaborations and challenges that made, or nearly broke us. 

Where will the next year take us? 
Who knows. But here are just a few of the moments from 2014 that have shaped our campaigning and advocacy.

The highs and lows of 2014 for Downs Side Up

Chatty Natty on ITV Lorraine Show: The Face of Representation

Did you ever have a moment in your life that was so exciting, so surreal that you weren't sure if you dreamt it up? 

The kind of moment where you are plucked from your ordinary life and sucked into a parallel universe for the briefest of whiles, before being plopped back safe and sound, albeit exhausted and clutching a few souvenirs?

Well, if it weren't for two pink Lorraine clocks in the girls' bedrooms, I would indeed be wondering if I had dreamt up our trip to London to feature live on the ITV Lorraine Show.

Natty for Face of Kinder 2013

I know that ad inclusion is a very important part of what we campaign for here at Downs Side Up. Natty and a team of others across the UK have been getting their faces into catalogues, brochures, websites, films and commercials, showing the world a different kind of beauty, acting as role models for others and encouraging the the PR teams to look at representing every one of us in their marketing strategies. Read about the pioneers who are changing attitudes here. 

I have to admit though that writing around to companies and attending castings was a very time consuming process, but happy in the knowledge that increasing numbers of companies were opening their modelling criteria to those with disabilities and others parents were forging ahead, I guess I relaxed the pressure a little. I also found myself caught up in other writing and media campaigns which took all my focus.

We decided not to go all the way to London for a recent Boden casting and were on holiday when Urban Angels needed someone for an ad, but we were excited to see our friend Kostas in the latest Co Op commercial. There is also a new model Julius hitting the headlines in Australia and a little boy Adam in Ireland is working for Marks and Spencer so it is happening.

But actually I am left wondering if companies really are employing a long term policy of inclusive advertising, or simply engaging in one offs for whatever reason...

So, I shall start looking around for more modelling opportunities for Natty, our model with Down Syndrome. Locally as far as possible, as it can be slotted into our day so easily that way, taking little away from school time. If everyone did a little bit here and there for a local tourist attraction or shop or company we could cover the country in a network of inclusive advertising. 

For now we've entered Natty into the Face of Kinder 2013 competition. If you would like to vote for her you can do so here. (Vting has closed).

Just type Natty (there's only one) and follow the instructions. It takes around a minute.  You can vote for as many children as you like, so enter your child too and we can all vote for each other's children.

                                                      

So go on, dust off your keyboards, get voting and get writing to those companies! 

Together we can make a difference and get disability into the media.