Workin' 9 to 5?

Here is a quote from a DS informational page :

"Myth: Adults with Down syndrome are unemployable.
Truth: Businesses are seeking young adults with Down syndrome for a variety of positions. They are being employed in small and medium sized offices: by banks,corporations, nursing homes, hotels and restaurants. They work in the music and entertainment industry, in clerical positions and in the computer industry. People with Down syndrome bring to their jobs enthusiasm, reliability and dedication."

This comes as no surprise to me, but I think it may shatter some pre-conceived notions. I think that everyone assumes a thing or two about where adults with DS are going to work. We all immediately think of the grocery bagger. Admit it, you did. That's O.K., because when Will was born, my geneticist, a learned older gentleman with lots of knowledge on the subject, informed us that Will was going to grow up and get a job "like at the grocery store, they have baggers there you know, or maybe a funeral home because people with DS are so comforting". No, I can't blame you for your assumption, when a doctor of geneticts is as equally informed as any layperson. It appears that our geneticist's continuing medical studies have included trips to the grocery store and obviously to a funeral home.

Yes, I have seen baggers at the grocery store who have DS, but I've seen a lot more who do not. I've had the misfortune to attend a number of funerals at a variety of different facilities and I have never had the opportunity to observe someone with DS actively consoling the bereaved.

It was nice to read the above and see that people with DS are working in the places you don't have cause to visit everyday. It's nice for people to understand that the guy or gal bagging your groceries is not representative of all people with DS. People with DS are finding jobs that make them happy, in areas they find rewarding. The new generation of people with DS is just now reaching the workforce. It will be interesting to see how advances in early intervention and education make on the adults of the future.

As I sat in the geneticist's office that day and the doctor jovially filled me in on Will's potential, I knew right then and there that perceived limitations and expectations were going to be what holds Will back more than his own shortcomings. Yes, I'm certain that the hard working folks with DS have not one, but two jobs. The one they wake up each morning for, and the one of education. Obviously this is a tall order, but I feel confident that they will do a great job showing the world how they not only have to overcome their own adversities, but also all the ones people like to pile on them without a second thought.