Down Syndrome Awareness Month Brings Request for Change from Disney Studios

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, the mothers of a daughter with the genetic disorder have started a Care2 petition asking Disney Animation Studios to represent children with disabilities in their animated films, and the petition already has nearly 14,000 signatures!

“Disney has done such a great job inspiring children, generation after generation, to be good people,” says Keston Ott-Dahl, an author, activist, and mother of Delaney Skye.  “They are in a unique position to directly change the way future generations and societies view people with Down syndrome.”

Keston  shares that at more than a year old Delaney enjoys watching animated movies, but “it breaks my heart to watch Delaney mesmerized by these Disney princesses and other characters knowing she has no role models that are like her,”.

The goal of the family is to meet with Disney execs in order to hand deliver a copy of their petition, and Keston points out that to date the only representation of a character with a disability is found in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is from 18 years ago.

If you would like to sign or share the petition, visit: http://www.care2.com/go/z/Delaney