News & Events

Join us on Friday, June 4th, 2010
for the 8th Annual D.A.D.S. Golf Outing.
Full details, including registration form are available here.

Click on the dates highlighted in blue to view events.


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Calender of Events

2010

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Down Syndrome Indiana Governmental Affairs Committee Receives Award!

On February 24, 2010, the Down Syndrome Indiana Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) chaired by Tom Milvert of Columbus, IN received an award from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) for their work in the area of public policy and in successfully addressing policy issues that affect individuals with Down syndrome and their families across Indiana. “The Down Syndrome Indiana GAC has demonstrated exemplary commitment, organization and creativity in implementing strategies to raise awareness of public policy issues among the members of the Down syndrome community in Indiana.” stated Madeleine Will, Vice President of Public Policy for the National Down Syndrome Society.

The award was received by Tom Milvert (GAC Chair) and Jeff Huffman (DSI Board President), representatives of Down Syndrome Indiana that traveled to Washington D.C. on February 24-25, 2010 to participate in the Buddy Walk on Washington ® to meet with members of the Indiana Congressional delegation to educate them about the strengths and needs of their constituents with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Indiana is a nonprofit organization representing individuals with Down syndrome in Central Indiana. Down Syndrome Indiana is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with Down syndrome. Our mission is to serve as a conduit of information, support and advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, which promotes growth and inclusion in the community.

DSI Annual Appeal e-version

We know current economic times are tight but Down Syndrome Indiana needs your help and here’s why…

A 2005 Harvard Medical School survey showed that the majority of mothers who gave birth to a baby with Down syndrome received outdated or inaccurate information about raising a child with Down syndrome. While this is most likely because the expectations for people with Down syndrome have changed so significantly in the past 20 years with increased access to education, healthcare and early intervention programs, inaccurate data no longer need to be the norm!

On October 8, 2008, the Kennedy-Brownback Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act was signed into law. This law seeks to: increase patient referrals to providers of key support services for women who have received a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome, spina bifida, dwarfism and other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions; strengthen existing networks of support through outreach programs; improve available data by incorporating up-to-date evidence based information into existing state programs for birth defects and prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions; and ensure that patients receive information about the accuracy of the diagnostic test for these conditions. Provisions also include the establishment of, or increased access to, a resource hotline.

With the law behind us, Down Syndrome Indiana’s goal is to reach out to medical professionals and provide them with that accurate and up to date information about the abilities of individuals with Down syndrome as well as to provide them with resource materials to pass along to families through its Outreach Program. Down Syndrome Indiana will accomplish this by providing presentations and professional materials to medical professionals and, of course, by providing New Parent Packets to new and expecting parents. Your donation will assist Down Syndrome Indiana by supplying the funds necessary to purchase materials for the medical professionals and the families that see them.

Please help Down Syndrome Indiana provide medical professionals with that up to date and accurate information about the reality and joys of raising a child with Down syndrome by donating to Down Syndrome Indiana’s Outreach Program.

We only need to raise $2,000.00 more dollars to reach our goal of funding the Down Syndrome Indiana Outreach program to reach out to medical professionals and provide them with accurate and up to date information about the abilities of individuals with Down syndrome as well as to provide them with resource materials to pass along to families. If each individual receiving this appeal were to print the donation form and send in just 50 cents, or make an immediate donation now, we would reach our goal. If each individual receiving this appeal electronically were to give just $1.00, we would far exceed our goal! Yes, it is that simple!

For more information about DSI’s Outreach program visit our website at dsindiana.org or contact our Outreach Coordinator by e-mail at info@dsindiana.org or by phone at (317) 925-7617.

Dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with Down syndrome,

Lisa Tokarz-Gutierrez, Executive Director
Down Syndrome Indiana
2625 N Meridian St #49
Indianapolis, IN 46208
(317) 523-0775 cell phone
(888) 989-9255 toll free
(317) 925-7619 fax

Montgomery Aviation raises $11,000 for Down Syndrome Indiana!

On Saturday June 20^th, 2009 Montgomery Aviation hosted the 3^rd Annual Fly-in and Open House to benefit Down Syndrome Indiana and raised over $11,000 to benefit individuals with Down syndrome. The wonderful event consisted of an exciting skydiving performance, aircraft displays, children’s activities, live music by Side Project, military aircraft, community exhibits, plenty of food and the first plane was Grand Marshalled in by our own Sabrina Coleman!

A huge thank you to the sponsors and donors which included: Facer Insurance, McCormick, NGC Corp., Zotec Partners, LLC., Scannell Development, Modular Devices, Inc., Gaylor, Inc., Denison Parking, Inc., The Farmer’s Bank, Scott Webber, Paul Polizzi, Feeding Friends, Inc., William Smith, Ron Young, Stephen Fess, Ramon Van Sickle, Suzanne Montgomery, Aviation Safety of Indiana, Montgomery Aviation, Eagle Flyers, Solutions Air Charter, Indianapolis Executive Airport, Sullivan Corp., and Steve Owen.

Mark your calendars now! The 4^th Annual Fly-in and Open House will be held on Saturday, June 19^th, 2010; always the day before Father’s Day.

The proceeds raised will be used to fund DSI programs and services such as an Inclusion Specialist program for schools and educators, new parent packets and parent support groups.

Reason to Celebrate: Kennedy- Brownback gets funded

Great news! The Kennedy-Brownback Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act gets funded to the tune of $820,000 over the next four years. This is what many Ds organizations advocated for when we made our trip to Washington DC earlier this year. According the National Down Syndrome Society and the National Down Syndrome Congress, “The funding "seeks to increase patient referrals to providers of key support services for women who have received a positive test diagnosis for Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Dwarfism and other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions; strengthen existing networks of support through outreach programs; improve available data by incorporating up-to-date, evidence-based information into existing state programs for birth defects and prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions and ensure that patients receive information about the accuracy of the diagnostic tests for the conditions. Provisions also include the establishment of or increased access to a resource hotline." The actual bill was signed into law by former President Bush on October 8, 2008. However, it did not come with any Congressional appropriations to enact the recommendations until now.

This has the Down syndrome community excited because we want our families to be provided with up to date and accurate information about raising a child with Down syndrome. It is currently estimated that 90% of women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome terminate the pregnancy. This is not a prolife or prochoice issue, again, this is just making sure that women are presented with up to date and accurate information. For example, do families know that there is a waiting list to adopt a child with Down syndrome? If they knew this, would they rethink abortion? Are mothers really still being told that their child will not know how to count change or ever get a job? Some are and we want to make sure that parents have the opportunity to learn more about Down syndrome and the joys of raising or even of knowing individuals with Down syndrome because those statements are simply not true!