The National Down Syndrome Society launched an awareness advert last week ahead of World Down Syndrome Day. The advert, “Assume that I can so maybe I will”, combats negative assumptions about people with Down syndrome.
“Our negative assumptions about people with Down syndrome can lead us to treat them in such a way that these assumptions become reality. In sociology, this is called ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’,” reads the TikTok caption of the ad.
The ad uses examples such as people with Down syndrome drinking alcohol, or being able to read Shakespeare, and people assuming that they cannot do these things.
Combatting these harmful assumptions, the ad highlights that they can do all of these things, and such assumptions need to be stopped.
“Assume that I can learn Shakespeare. So, I learn f***ing Shakespeare,” the ad said. “You assumed I couldn’t swear, right?”
The comment section received the message positively. One user wrote: “Why have I never seen ANY positive message about Down syndrome like this[?]. Beautifully done.”
Another said: “I had a friend with Down syndrome, and he told me most of the time it only felt like a disability because of the way people treated him. Love this ad and what it’s trying to say!”
“Damn she even made me feel empowered. This is probably the best awareness campaign ad I’ve ever seen for anything,” a commenter said.
World Down Syndrome Day is on March 21 each year, observed to create awareness around the condition.
Featured Image Credit: Screengrab from @NDSSorg / TikTok