This summer, the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) will celebrate the accomplishments and achievements being made by people with Down syndrome by creating a forum to share their stories. The My Great Story (MGS) public awareness campaign seeks to ignite a new way of thinking about people with Down syndrome by collecting inspirational stories told by people with Down syndrome and their family members, friends, colleagues, and many others. In the new “Summer Fun” section, participants can share stories about their camping trips, beach outings, vacations, staycations and any other summer activities!
Anyone can comment or vote on the stories already in the collection. NDSS invites you to cover the MGS campaign, post, tweet and blog about it, and promote reposting, retweeting and more sharing amongst your audience.
NDSS also invites you to watch the MGS Celebrity PSAs that star TV Hosts Meredith Vieira and Nancy O’Dell, and Actors John C. McGinley and Chris Burke and post them to your media outlet’s website. Each of the NDSS Celebrity Ambassadors has a different connection to someone with Down syndrome, and Vieira’s story is particularly timely, as it is about her son, Gabriel, who volunteered at a summer camp for teenagers with Down syndrome.
The MGS campaign has garnered strong visibility in a profound timeframe. To date, over $6 million has been donated in national and regional ad space and services. The campaign has been seen by over 225 million people across the country and featured in media outlets such as Allure, Fortune, Glamour, Newsweek, Self, Time, USA Today, Vogue and Wired, among other noteworthy outlets. The My Great Story campaign has attracted other types of media as well, including placements in airports, bars, checkout counters and hospital patient and waiting rooms.
Down syndrome occurs when an individual has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. One in every 691 babies is born with Down syndrome. Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades- from 25 in 1983 to 60 today. People with Down syndrome attend school, work; participate in decisions that affect them, and contribute to society in many ways.
About My Great Story
MGS was created pro-bono by NY based Ad Agency, Pedone. After 14 months of market analysis the Pedone team developed a campaign in an effort to shape the future for all people with Down syndrome. The online story book was developed by CT based Interactive Agency York and Chapel, who spent over 12 months developing the user friendly technology, sophisticated design and esthetics, and incorporation of the spectacular print ads shot by Zachary Scott. To learn more about My Great Story, visit www.ndss.org/stories.
About NDSS
The National Down Syndrome Society is a nonprofit organization representing the more than 400,000 Americans with Down syndrome. The mission of NDSS is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. The National Down Syndrome Society envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming community. NDSS has over 350 affiliates nationwide. To learn more, visit www.ndss.org.
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