Game of Thorns

This past week marked the observance of World Down Syndrome Day. As one of our favorite poets, Sid Ghosh, wrote last year: “Happy Down Syndrome Day! Communication is my birthright!”

This year, Sid’s mom and primary communication partner, Vaish, posted one of Sid’s recent poems and shared some of her feelings about communication discrimination. Here is the poem:

Game of Thorns


Again the lotus 
reminds the rose

"Remain above the mud." 

Again the rose 
reminds the lotus

"I have thorns." 

Vaish wrote:

World Down Syndrome Day makes me very mad. The rest of the year, I can forget about the Down Syndrome part - not because it makes me uncomfortable or ashamed, don’t get me wrong.

But this day, I see, I remember, I am reminded of rampant communication discrimination within the Down Syndrome Community.

Your worth as a person with Down Syndrome is by what you can achieve externally - with speech - with movement - with acting.

All of these are with enormous worth - but what about non-speech communication?

What about letterboards?

What about non-speakers?

To every organization that works with people with Down Syndrome - please look beyond the speakers and the athletes. End Communication Discrimination.

Sid has strong opinions about this - but Sid has told me many times that he is a poet- not an activist - and today I’m mad - so I am taking on this role for a short while!

Check out the #endcommunicationdiscrimination discrimination tag that other non-speakers advocate for.