Down syndrome, the 90-second film against stereotypes about disability has broken every online record: 150 million views in four days

ROMA – “Assume That I Can”that is, asking the world to put an end to prejudices about people with Down syndrome, supporting everyone’s potential. A clear and simple message in view of the world day on March 21st dedicated to people with Down syndrome

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The awareness campaign. An image gallery to involve people, with clarity and simplicity, which in just four days has exceeded the ceiling of 150 million views on social network and continues to amass millions of users as the hours pass. To carry out a social communication campaign that is a candidate to collect the most important international creativity awards is Coordown – National Coordination of Associations of people with Down’s Syndrome, in collaboration with theSMALL Agency of New York, the one who created the commercials no later than a few months ago long S. “We work with CoorDown for 12 years, but we have never seen results like these – explain Luca Lorenzini and Luca Pannese, executive creative directors of the Big Apple Agency – someone loves the message, others the creation, others love both. Evidently, this film is about something that people needed and wanted to hear and that’s why they decided to share it.”

“Assume That I Can”, il film. “I discovered that in psychology there is the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy – – says Marta Sodano, a 30-year-old woman with Down syndrome, in her speech at the United Nations – therefore the teacher who thinks that the student cannot understand , behaves accordingly, does not explain and makes the prophecy come true. But for me there are no easy or difficult concepts. If I think about the things that have not been explained and taught to me, this makes me angry.” And it is precisely from Marta Sodano’s story that the film was born “Assume Thet I Can”: a girl with Down syndrome has people around her who believe she cannot drink a cocktail, box, study Shakespeare, or live alone and so limit her possibilities.

The turning point: beyond the denunciation of denied rights. Then halfway through the film the turning point, the young woman invites with determination to use the self-fulfilling prophecy in a positive sense: if you believe in me, if you trust me, you will be able to have a positive impact and then, perhaps, I will be able to achieve goals, even unexpected ones. A profound change of imagination that goes beyond the denunciation of denied rights, calls to action every person who wants to actively fight to achieve true inclusion for all.

Real testimonies on social media. That’s why social media @CoorDown they are being populated with videos of real testimonies of people with Down syndrome from all over the world with examples of the stereotypes they have had to face and the prejudices they have subverted. A surprising format that shows how children, young people and adults with Down syndrome can play the piano perfectly, ski, get a tattoo, win a Emmydance there breakdancingskate, have a job, go to college, live alone, have a relationship, and get married.

The global network at the basis of success. The international campaign, which was born in Italy from CoorDown, sees the contribution of various international associations that simultaneously launched the film on a global level: Canadian Down Syndrome Society, National Down Syndrome Society, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Down’s Syndrome Association UK, Down Syndrome Australia and New Zealand Down Syndrome Association. “Changing the way we approach disability is the challenge launched by CoorDown for 2024. – explains Antonella Falugiani, President of CoorDown – we have decided to launch an activation message that is involving the entire society, not just our community, because disability truly concerns everyone and everyone must be able to act to change the culture which leads to discrimination”.