On Wednesday 3 August we were delighted to welcome Gillian Keegan MP, Minister of State for Care and Mental Health to the DSA offices at the Langdon Down Centre, Teddington.
The purpose of the visit was for a group of families to meet with the Minister and to discuss their lives and experiences in order to help inform the current Down Syndrome Act Call for Evidence, which the Minister is leading. A wide ranging group of children, young people and adults who have Down’s syndrome and their families attended, with perspectives ranging from those of a parent of a 4 week old to a person in their 60’s.
We were also pleased that our local MP, Munira Wilson (Education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats) was also able to join us and to hear directly from these families.
During the visit the Minister spent time talking to the guests about their lives, their hopes for the future and answered their questions about the Down Syndrome Act. After a brief tour of the building, the Minister met with members of the DSA staff.
The Call for Evidence, which is being managed by the Department of Health and Social Care, can be found here, and is open for 16 weeks, closing on the 8 November. The Call for Evidence is seeking views from people with Down’s syndrome, their families and the organisations who support them on a range of issues, and we are encouraging as many people as possible to engage directly with it.
We are also aware of the interest in how the guidance being developed from the Act could also affect people with other genetic conditions and a learning disability, and the Call for Evidence is keen to hear from these people too. We will shortly be announcing a series of events and resources linked to the Call for Evidence, to help inform our response.