We are parents, guardians, self-advocates and caregivers to someone with Down syndrome, and we are stronger together.

Our Vision.

All people with Down syndrome in BC will have access to support, care and opportunities that enrich their lives, and allow them to have a meaningful impact within the community.

Our Mission.

The Down Syndrome Society of British Columbia will work to bring about real change for people with Down syndrome in BC. We will support individuals and organizations to provide truly inclusive education, supportive and informed interactions with healthcare providers, and improved access to early intervention services for individuals with Down syndrome. We will forge connections across our province-wide community so that families and individuals with lived experience (the real experts!) can guide each other.

We are stronger together.

The origin of Down syndrome BC is, sadly, based in tragedy. The news of Florence Girard’s death made headlines in January 2020 and for many families who love someone with Down syndrome, it was reading their greatest fear in print. Families across BC were saddened and enraged by this horrific and preventable death and began to band together to see a different future for their loved ones with Down syndrome. A series of working group meetings were held and the next steps were clear: the DSBC community would have to become the driving force behind the changes that we want to see in our province.

The Down Syndrome Society of British Columbia (or Down syndrome BC for short) was incorporated as a society on March 24, 2021. We are organizing and coming together, because the past year has brutally highlighted what we already know; that people with Down syndrome are discriminated against in every facet of society. So many of us have been tirelessly working on our own for recognition, inclusion, and support for individuals with Down syndrome, but it’s exhausting and difficult work to make change for one person at a time. We hope that collectively, we can make a difference for our entire provincial community.

We are parents, guardians, self-advocates and caregivers living in British Columbia. We all love someone with Down syndrome, and we have a common goal: to see the members of the BC Down syndrome community living their best and fullest lives.