UCC marks World Down Syndrome Day in style

21 Mar 2023

Rocking their funky socks, staff and students gathered from all over the university to mark the 21st March.

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

All over the globe, people with Down syndrome are not treated as equals. They do not have equal access to a quality education, good health care or equal opportunity to work and earn their own money. They are not allowed to make decisions about their own lives. Their voices are not always heard.

This past World Down Syndrome Day fell on a really rainy Tuesday but that did not dampen spirits one bit and over 70 UCC staff, students and VIP guests came together in the Aula Max to rock their funky socks and to create a unified global voice to advocate for the rights, inclusion and well-being of the people with Down syndrome in our lives, our communities, here and all over the world. We were joined by 5-year-old Róisín Veiga and a number of her buddies from Montessori, as well as a few primary school children too. We also welcomed Liam O’Sullivan and his fellow students and trainers from the Caritas Training Centre in Bishopstown. Current UCC students from the id+ project workstreams and colleagues from Roots Café in the Hub also came along to show their support as did Prof Stephen Byrne, Registrar and Deputy President, members of the Students’ Union, and students/colleagues from Access UCC, UCC98.3FM, the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, EDI, GAP, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Student Recruitment, Visitor Services and Media and Communications.

This year’s theme was With Us, Not For Us. The message of With Us, Not For Us is key to a human rights-based approach to disability which views people with disabilities as having the right to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities as everyone else, working With others to improve their lives.

Finally, the Quad was lit up in purple (the colour of Down Syndrome Ireland) on the evening of WDSD as an important symbolic gesture of UCC’s support of and solidarity with the amazing Down syndrome community.

Big thanks to:

· Clodagh O’Sullivan for inviting Caritas to come and be part of our WDSD celebrations;

· JP Quinn and Marcia Lyons for taking care of our VIP guests (Caritas and Junior visitors) so well;

· Mary Byrne and all the students and staff from the id+ project for their support;

· Louise McDonald and the brilliant baristas at Roots Café for showing their solidarity;

· Kate, Joe, Eoin, Michael, Tomás, Max and Rubén from Media and Comms for covering and capturing the day so beautifully;

· The President’s Office and Buildings Office for lighting up the Quad;

· The team in Babelfís for generously sponsoring the hashtag and sign for the photos;

· Everyone who came along to support show off their funky socks and stand With Us!

For more information, contact Carol Veiga at carol.veiga@ucc.ie