What Are People Saying About the NDSAW 2009 Campaign?

Good message! Need one on every hospital bulletin board!

You’re doing an incredible job in your meaningful and positive marketing strategies!

I was just reading the Globe and Mail and came across your ad... It's fantastic! Congratulations, it is really, really good. I hope you are receiving a lot of calls today saying how incredible it is.

Thank you for sending these wonderful materials.

The posters are very bold and powerful... I loved them.

I love it! Got goose bumps and a tear in my eye - especially when I saw the poster about public school.

This is an excellent message. The ad says exactly no more and no less than it needs to. When all kids go to school with their friends is when real social change will happen.Tyler Hnatuk

Wow -- this is great!

Well done! I like the ad's simplicity and directness. The photo, the headline and the text all work very well.

The ad was wonderful – a clear, positive message with enough of a twist to make people think. Congratulations to all involved for a job well done. Inclusive education is one of our top priorities, and we have identified public awareness as a major obstacle. Messages like this go a long way in helping to change attitudes.

I’ve been tracking your ads, though I hadn’t seen all of them. I really like the provocative piece of taking stereotypes and turning them on their heads. That’s the first piece that grabs one. I LOVE the picture of Hannah. It’s an incredibly powerful one. She both melts the heart with this beautiful, warm smile, and she seems knowing—the viewer feels somehow small in her presence. Or at least, that was my experience. She comes across so strong, so warm, so knowing…

As you know I feel particularly passionate about inclusive education and the work that groups like CDSS, AACL and others do to ensure that the barriers to participating in a regular classroom are removed. I feel that ongoing public awareness campaigns to encourage people to expect inclusion are important - whether or not you have a child with a disability. It is a natural part of a classroom just like it is a natural part of the broader community.

I work as an art director in Louisville, Kentucky and serve on the Down Syndrome of Louisville Board of directors. I also have a 9-year-old son with Down syndrome who attends public school here. Your ad was very well done! The ad serves as a reminder for me how similar all our challenges are, regardless of city, state or country. I think that is one of the greatest gifts our kids have – they never see or judge anyone else by race, nationality, looks, abilities or financial and social stature. They are the accepting ones. It is heartening to see that society is beginning to learn from them. Your ad relates that message very well. Best of luck to you and the CDSS in your future efforts!

The CDSS Down Syndrome Awareness campaign ad is fantastic! The message is compelling and thought provoking and right on target with the initiatives DSG is working on every day to break down age old stereotypes and myths. I shared the ad on my facebook page and via email with some friends and colleagues. Parents of children with Down syndrome were particularly encouraged to see strong advocacy for their children and my professional friends indicated it made them stop and think about the paradigms that exist in service delivery.

While we still have our work cut out for us to achieve full acceptance, we have come a long way. I hope the CDSS ad will encourage lawmakers, educators, medical professionals and the general community to see the value in people with Down syndrome being included and respected. They have limitless potential and gifts to share with the world if given the opportunity to express them.

Please share my comments with your sponsoring organizations so they will know the ad has reached beyond Canadian borders and is much appreciated. Keep up the great work!