Guest Post by Dr. Karen Summar, Joseph P. Kennedy Foundaton Public Policy Fellow.

Efforts to increase awareness about Down syndrome are reaching new heights.  I am very excited that the United Nations has officially designated March 21, or 3/21 as World Down Syndrome Day.  A big thank you goes to Down Syndrome International who has coordinated World Down Syndrome Day since 2006 and was instrumental in gaining the recognition by the UN.

The 3/21 date is significant because of the underlying genetic cause of Down syndrome, three copies of chromosome 21.  Soon, the combination of 3/21 will be as easy to recognize as the wearing of green on St. Patrick’s Day.