STAR-STUDDED ZOOM PARTY CELEBRATES WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY 21 Over 100 families joined the BIG CONNECT, which may be New Zealand’s largest zoom call, to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. The global theme for World Down Syndrome Day asked people to connect in response to the COVID restrictions which have impacted the disabled community particularly hard. “In response, the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association (NZDSA) decided to invite families from around the country to connect on zoom, which has become such a big part of life in the past year,” says Zandra Vaccarino, the National Executive Officer of the NZDSA. The response from the community around the country to join the party has been overwhelming and the event was made even more special by the Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni addressing the families.
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“We were honoured by the Minister taking the time on a Saturday night to talk to our community who appreciated her recognising that people with Down syndrome are an integral part of our society and achieve incredible successes each day,” says Vaccarino. Minister Sepuloni was the first of several highprofile guests to appear on The Big Connect, along with Paula Tesoriero, the Disability Rights Commissioner, and Vanessa dos Santos, President of Down Syndrome International. Tesoriero pointed out that the challenges of the past year had created new ideas and that nobody would have thought about a mass zoom call 12 months ago. Dos Santos spoke through a video message from her home in South Africa and said New Zealand was the envy of the world, as Kiwis are able to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with other families, while many other countries are still in lockdown. The NZDSA patron, Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Dame Patsy Reddy, Governor-General of New Zealand sent a message congratulating the association on its 40th anniversary of providing information, support and advocacy that “has enabled people with Down syndrome to exercise their inherent rights as citizens and feel empowered to participate as active members of their communities”.
