Lady Cosgrove and the Governor-General, resplendent in Lots of Socks, hosted a reception at Government House to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March 2019.
"To be involved and included, to have every opportunity in life. To go to school, to learn, and make friends. To have a job, to experience the fulfilment and satisfaction it brings.
"To live as independently as we can and live life to the full. This is all any of us want. But unfortunately, people with Down syndrome don't always get to experience them as fully as they would like," the Governor-General said.
"Too often there can be stigma associated with having an intellectual disability and a resistance to inclusion. On World Down Syndrome Day, we tell the world to Leave No One Behind.
"This is a day of global awareness and a day for a global voice. A day for recognition and advocacy. A day for inclusion, recognition, respect and pride."
Also at the reception were DSA chair Angus Graham and DSA chief executive Dr Ellen Skladzien. They were joined by Sir Angus Houston, who is a patron of World Down Syndrome Congress (WDSC) in Brisbane in 2022, and many local families.
After the Governor-General's speech, Ruth Faragher, who is a member of the WDSC organising committee, announced Tasmania’s Matt Hoori and Texan resident Charlie French as the joint winners of the WDSC 2022 logo competition.
DSA chief executive Dr Ellen Skladzien said the winning logo brings together two creative minds from opposite sides of the world.
"We had six people on the judging panel, including two people with Down syndrome. Our judges were especially impressed with the concepts put forward by Matt Hoori and Charlie French. When we put those two entries together, we knew we had an outstanding design,” Dr Skladzien said.
Read the full text of the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove's World Down Syndrome Day speech, in word format.
Read the full text of the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove's World Down Syndrome Day speech, in pdf format.
For more photos from our World Down Syndrome Day reception at Government House on 21 March 2019, please see visit our album on Facebook.