For the past 37 years, MDSC has been a vital support and staunch advocate for the 5,000-plus individuals across the Commonwealth with Down syndrome and their families. Today, powered by the strength, determination and resilience of our community, we are continuing to innovate to ensure that each individual with Down syndrome, especially in our new reality, has access to a full range of opportunities to lead a meaningful fulfilling life.

Over the past 10 months, MDSC has acted proactively and made significant changes to our traditional way of doing things so that we can best serve our families and community:

Ever since Covid hit last spring, we have been strengthening our collaborations with our local and national disability partner organizations as well as legislative leaders to address critical local and national policy concerns.

This includes everything from Covid Relief funding to hospital visitation policies, housing and education advocacy, employment as well as vaccine access -- all to ensure that people with Down syndrome are not disproportionately affected during these difficult times for everyone.

Our most recent efforts have focused on working with our MDSC Medical & Scientific Advisory Council to share helpful information about the Covid-19 vaccine, advocating for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities in congregate care or community-based day program settings, and requesting that people with Down syndrome over 40 years of age receive top priority for the vaccine. We’ll continue to follow this closely as new information becomes available.

As a new legislative session (2021-2022} year begins, we’ll be working with our advocacy partners to refile our priority legislation including our Higher Ed Bill and Applied Behavioral Therapy Bill, and will review other top priorities to include on our statewide legislative platform. See the 2019-2020 platform here.

As we approach a full year under Covid, we remain determined to help our members navigate this ever-changing landscape with as much helpful information, tools, resources and safe ways to connect as possible. For more information on any of these programs, please reach out to us at mdsc@mdsc.org

With the new fully-virtual world we’re living in, it’s more important than ever that you’re able to find the information and resources you need. That’s why we’re especially excited to be readying to launch an all-new MDSC.org!

MDSC’s new online home will highlight MDSC’s 4 Centers of Excellence -- Public Policy Action Center, Your Next Star Employment Center, National Parents First Call Center, and Center on Inclusive Education. It will also include a Resource Library with hundreds of fully-searchable resources.

We are thrilled to launch the website at the Annual Conference on March 27!

MDSC has become one of the strongest Down syndrome organizations in the country because so many of our dedicated parents, professionals, self-advocates and others are involved in helping us to achieve our mission. You, too, can get involved in so many ways. It takes all of us working together to make the most impact possible.

World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 is quickly approaching – and, what better way to show your support for the Down syndrome community than by participating in a run, walk, bike ride, hike or any other creative way you can be active for the campaign, (i.e., 21 jumping jacks, 21 push ups, holding the plank for 21 seconds!) while supporting MDSC!

Help us raise awareness and funds by participating in a creative activity that you can do from anywhere. All donations will go directly to MDSC to support individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

We are indeed Stronger Together! For all of us at MDSC, I want to wish you and your family good health in 2021. And please, don't hesitate to reach out to let us know how we can help you and your family in the year ahead.