People With Down Syndrome Answer Worried Parents' Internet Queries in These Ads

When told that the child they are expecting might have Down Syndrome, the first thing many prospective parents do is get on the internet to look for answers. A new campaign by the Canadian Down Sydrome Society (CDSS) addresss this by creating a series of videos in which people with Down Syndrome answer some of the most commonly searched questions on Google. This week, coinciding with the start of Canadian Down Syndrome Week (Nov. 1-7), whenever someone in Canada Googles a question about Down syndrome, the answer video will appear in the search results. The videos address tough questions such as how long will a child with Down Syndrome live, when will they talk, and will they be able to read (seen here), play sport or ride a bike? Apart from the fact that it's a smart approach to media, the films themselves are refreshingly honest and in many cases heartwarming. The campaign aims to educate the public, increase understanding, and present a "fair and balanced" story of the developmental disability as told by people living with Down Syndrome, according to the CDSS. It was created by FCB Canada. "When parents get a diagnosis, they always have questions even after speaking with their doctor. At that point, they inevitably turn to Google looking for answers," said Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, chief creative officer, FCB Canada, in a statement. "When we met with CDSS, we realized that people with Down syndrome are most qualified to provide those answers, but without a good search strategy, there's no guarantee people will find them."

People With Down Syndrome Answer Worried Parents' Internet Queries in These Ads

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