Question

a.     What role do self-advocacy programs play in shaping the experience of individuals with DS?

b.     What impact do self-advocacy programs have on societal beliefs and expectations?

c.     What impact do programs, like Best Buddies or Special Olympics, have on children with DS and children without DS?

Answer 1

Self advocay means right of person with intellectual disability to express by himself without the need of custody. It means right and acceptance from the society in traeating them equally, the possibility of free education, the right of voting, the right of free transport, establishing programmes for training and employment opportunities.

Society starts accepting People with DS. The attention is give to seperate funding and change strategoes in order to incorporate them amongst normal ones. Today upto primary school, children with DS learn with normal school children. This leads to the more postive development of the and other children also come to know children with disability. Society;s approach towards people with DS becomes friendly and acceptable if laws are made so.

Programmes such as special oylmpics or best buddies allow children to mix up with each other positively. Children with DS get exposure to sports and competition, which is beneficial for their brain and well as physical development. Niram children also see that children with DS are excelling, they are also normal like us just with a little disability. In this school age they can be freinds with DS children easily unlike grown ups can be. They start accepting such competiton right from an early age.