In the News - March 2013

Every month I compile a list of the stories I post on Down Wit Dat's Facebook page. They are stories of activism, of inclusion, of advocacy, of education, of hope and of love. The month of March not only featured The End the Word Day of Action, but also World Down Syndrome Day.  This list also highlights the ongoing efforts of the Down syndrome community to demand justice for Robert Ethan Saylor and to illuminate an ongoing bias towards those with Trisomy 21. 

Legend:

AUDIO	indicates an audio clip
APPEAL	indicates an online petition or plea
BLOG	indicates a blog post
EVENT	indicates a scheduled event
LINKS	indicates links or resource materials
PHOTOS	indicates photos
STUDY	indicates a study
THREAD	indicates an online discussion thread
VIDEO	indicates a video

BLOG	Crumbs Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/12/01/2295922/beaufort-teen-with-down-syndrome.html#storylink=cpy
BLOG	Support flows for woman with Down syndrome mocked by radio DJ - See more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/31/support-flows-for-woman-mocked-by-radio-dj.html#sthash.ZV10BbV0.dpuf Rosie's Surgery Support flows for woman with Down syndrome mocked by radio DJ - See more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/31/support-flows-for-woman-mocked-by-radio-dj.html#sthash.ZV10BbV0.dpuf Support flows for woman with Down syndrome mocked by radio DJ - See more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/31/support-flows-for-woman-mocked-by-radio-dj.html#sthash.ZV10BbV0.dpuf Support flows for woman with Down syndrome mocked by radio DJ - See more at: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/31/support-flows-for-woman-mocked-by-radio-dj.html#sthash.ZV10BbV0.dpuf
VIDEO	John C. McGinley Talks R-Word
BLOG	The Big Day is Almost Here!
	That Basketball Video Gone Viral -- What's Wrong With It?
BLOG	The Slippery Slope of Special Treatment
BLOG	Neurodiversity IS the Next Civil Rights Movement
LINKS	Ideal Way
BLOG	March 21st Will Never Be The Same Again by Lara Cetrulo Thomas
BLOG	End The Word
	A Word Can Be a Matter of Life and Death
	Spread the Word "Day of Action" Blog Symposium
BLOG	Spread the Word to End the Word and Quit It with the Attitude while You're at It
BLOG	The Penalty Phase – Spread the Word to End the Word
BLOG	I Don’t See A Retard
BLOG	Spread the Word to End the Word 2013
	What's Wrong with 'Retard'?
LINKS	Spread the Word
BLOG	"I didn't mean your kid."
BLOG	Words that Wound
BLOG	R is for Respect
BLOG	You're So....
BLOG	My Dearest Friends (A Spread the Word to End the Word Contribution)
	5 Things People Don’t Get About The Word “Retard”
BLOG	R is for Reason.  Let's Show We Have Some
	Rosendale dancer doesn't let disability keep her from her passion
	What siblings without Down syndrome are thinking
	Bill Hazel, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Services: Give Jenny Justice and Bring Her Home!
	Quiz: Do You Get Why You Shouldn't Say The R-Word?
BLOG	Retard
BLOG	Its Time For it to Stop
BLOG	Why I do what we do and then some.
BLOG	The People Who 'ARE'
BLOG	Living independently
VIDEO	Up Syndrome, Redefining Down Syndrome - Megan Abner
BLOG	March Madness Special Olympics Style returns
LINKS	Should You Test for Down Syndrome?
BLOG	A Game-Changing Treatment for ADHD On being Typical and not-so-Typical A Game-Changing Treatment for ADHD
	Why did Robert Ethan Saylor die?
	Meet Maya
BLOG	We Need To Own Robert Ethan Saylor’s Death –
LINKS	Atlantoaxial Instability
BLOG	Down Syndrome Uprising: A Manifesto
BLOG	3 Things: Spread the Word
BLOG	Shame? Embarrassment? How about awareness?
	Disability Rights International continues to pressure Guatemalan government to end human rights abuses at notorious psychiatric facility
	Using the word "retard" to describe me hurts
BLOG	Readers' Stories: Guest Posts
	San Diego Police Brutality: Latino Man with Down’s Syndrome Beat
	Deputy pepper sprays, detains man with Down Syndrome
VIDEO	Let Us In - I Want To Work!
BLOG	Autism Awareness is Not Enough: Here’s How to Change the World
BLOG	Natural
	A Young Man With Down Syndrome, a Fatal Encounter and a Cry for Understanding
BLOG	My World Down Syndrome Day post is not about socks –
APPEAL	Justice for Robert Saylor
	Toronto special needs teacher charged with sexually assaulting student
	Down syndrome: Is awareness overdone and action overdue?
LINKS	42 Great Down Syndrome Resources You Should Know About
BLOG	Defining, and re-defining Advocate
BLOG	Who We Are
BLOG	Down syndrome, Social Stigma and Images of Exclusion
LINKS	Site of the Day: March 2013
BLOG	Awareness, Acceptance, Advocacy, Action
	The Underground World of Adult Picky Eaters
LINKS	Readers' Choice Awards Honorees Recommend Their Favorite Down-Syndrome Resources
	2013 Heroes
BLOG	socks? really?
	Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome Awards $1.3 Million in Grand Challenge Grants to 14 Researchers
	Loving Life, Changing Attitudes: It's World Down Syndrome Day
	World Down Syndrome Day: The pressing need to better understand mental disabilities
	Can You See My Child?
VIDEO	Extra Ordinary
VIDEO	Video captures driver kicking autistic girl off bus
	No charges against deputies involved in the in-custody death of New Market man
	Press Release:  Grand Jury Decision in Robert Ethan Saylor Investigation
	Grand jury rejects criminal charges in death of Robert Saylor, man with Down syndrome
BLOG	Why we need a Down syndrome liberation movement
BLOG	Robert Ethan Saylor: Death by Down syndrome -
BLOG	Now that the “verdict” is in, and NO criminal charges will be filed, what have we learned?
BLOG	CALL TO ACTION - Robert Ethan Saylor
BLOG	Make World Down Syndrome Day a Day of Action
BLOG	What Constitutes “Support” from Parent Support Groups in a Situation Like This?
BLOG	The sound of terror.
BLOG	Robert Saylor Tragedy and Us
BLOG	We Stand in Solidarity
	Teen Treks to Mount Everest Base Camp to Raise Awareness for Down Syndrome
BLOG	Standing in Solidarity - The Tragic Death of Robert Ethan Saylor
	It's Time To Change The World
	Senator Seeks Federal Probe Of Group Homes
VIDEO	Team: Disabled Men Forced to Fight, Parents Say
VIDEO	Robert Ethan Saylor, Disabled Man Who Died In Custody, Had Heart Problem
	Brain protein may play role in Down's syndrome
	'Cough syrup' could help with Down Syndrome
EVENT	Online Vigil for Ethan Saylor
EVENT	TEDxKingsCollegeLondon - Beyond the genes: Identity, health and culture
BLOG	The Spin Cycle – How Robert ‘Ethan’ Saylor Killed Himself
	Down syndrome advocates call for justice, training
	Down Syndrome and a Death
BLOG	The Importance of Respite and True Friends
BLOG	Zero Dark Minds
BLOG	Sunday Blogaround- 3.24.13
BLOG	Death by Down Syndrome
	Police Training, Robert Saylor, and Justice Again
	Calm, common sense and compassion would have saved Ethan Saylor’s life
LINKS	Positional Asphyxia—Sudden Death
LINKS	Who to contact to demand an independent investigation
BLOG	Jesus Cried Out For His Father, Robert Ethan Saylor Cried Out For His Mother -- Please Help!
LINKS	An Open Letter to Everyone with a public contact page
BLOG	Political Bullshit
STUDY	Unraveling the molecular roots of Down syndrome
VIDEO	"I am a Person" PSA

This month:

Down Wit Dat's Facebook page surpassed 1100 fans! Thanks to all that got the word out.  Welcome to all our new friends.

Down Wit Dat - The Group , our all inclusive special needs group (along with our Facebook Page and Twitter feed) have been chosen as About.com's Readers Choice:  Favorite Special Needs Online Community!  Thanks to all who voted!

Down Syndrome Uprising was mentioned in the New York Times by Lawrence Downes.

Down Wit Dat was featured along with Down Syndrome Uprising in SheKnows, in an article by Maureen Wallace.

Down Wit Dat was featured in an article by Emily Shire in The Week.


...And that's the news.  Keep the stories and information coming!