Jerry Moran: “in 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated October as National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. We have been honoring…”

“in 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated October as National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. We have been honoring that month ever since. We are attempting to ensure that Americans have had the opportunity to celebrate and recognize individuals with Down syndrome and those individuals' contribution to our world. Since 2015, I have served as the cochair of the Congressional Down Syndrome Task Force, a bipartisan, bicameral caucus dedicated to promoting policies that enhance the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome. Last September, the task force partnered with leaders in Down syndrome advocacy groups and the medical research sector to host a roundtable discussion on recent scientific advances in Down syndrome research. During the roundtable, self-advocates brought awareness to the issues important to their communities, such as work and education opportunities, policies to improve independent living, support for their loved ones and caretakers, and medical research. Hearing the firsthand testimonies from individuals of Down syndrome and medical professionals who have dedicated their careers to the understanding of Down syndrome in order to better care for the community was meaningful to me, and it helped us better understand the needs of the Down syndrome community.…”