The face of Disability Represented in Marketing Catalogues

The beautiful face of disability in our catalogues...

The moment has arrived, the first catalogue featuring Natty is published online and will hit doormats all over the UK next week.

For us, this is hugely significant. For the first time in history, companies are saying yes to featuring children with Down's Syndrome in their marketing material. Jojo Maman Bebe too are using a little boy called Seb as well as Natty.

Of course it is only the thin end of the wedge, we want to see children using wheelchairs in instore poster campaigns, children with other disabilities in TV adverts. We don't want any company afraid to feature our children for fear of loss of sales. We have a very long way to go, but I am proud that we are here at the start, that we are making a difference. Thank you to all the families who have sent messages of support and encouragement, as well as beautiful photos of your own children. I helps to know you are all behind us.

I hope many new parents see these happy images of two sisters simply enjoying dressing up in nice clothes and having fun together, and their fears of Down's Syndrome will be dispelled. I pray other children with disabilities will come forward to model, their confidence boosted by seeing images of positive role models in the media.

For me though, the outtakes show even more of Natty's character, that she is funny, independent and witty, not simply docile, loving and musical. So here they are...

Frugi: The Outtakes!

Gorgeous Models - One with Downs Syndrome

My head is spinning with fabulous blog posts that I can't quite find the time to sit down and craft at the moment: 

Breastfeeding a baby with Down's Syndrome part 2

Tips to alleviate constipation

An observation on a mother and son with Down's I met by chance in town 

The consultant that diagnosed Natty's condition at birth revisited and re-evaluated...  

They'll all have to wait. School hols and lots of lovely house guests are taking precedent, and that's how it should be. 

We blog about life, not live through our blogs, after all.

Beauty Comes in Many Forms

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, 

for beauty is God's handwriting -- 

a wayside sacrament.
Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every flower, 

and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

But in the meantime I'd like to share a proud little moment with you all. Seemingly frivolous perhaps, but huge for the future of Down's Syndrome, the way our children are perceived.

Today, Frugi launched their Autumn Winter '12 collection. Natty and her sister Mia are there, amongst the other beautiful models. Just 2 happy little girls having fun with others, and enjoying dressing up in pretty clothes...

Getting Natty's face into catalogues was always one branch of my idea for gently changing perceptions of Down's Syndrome, alonside the blog, media appearances and article writing. 

In one small photo, a simple shot of a girl wearing pretty clothes, lies a hugely important message. 

The message conveyed is that children with Down's Syndorme are beautiful, love gorgeous clothes, deserve to be well dressed. That they are just as important as any other child, they are capable of the same activities, enjoy life to the full, can work as clothing models, are loved by their siblings and friends. They too can woo a camera person, make a marketing team giggle and are role models for other children who see themselves represented in mainstream media for the first time.

I hope Natty has gained an immeasurable amount of confidence from being accepted as a model too. She beams from ear to ear whenever she sees her face in print.

Put simply, I hope that other beautiful small people with an extra chromosome simply look at Natty in those pages and see a girl who looks a bit like them but who doesn't really stand out at all. She is just one of the gang. She looks natural and at home amongst the others.

And that has been our family motto since the day Natty was born... she is just one of the gang.