
Charlotte at the World Down Syndrome Congress, Brisbane
Charlotte Woodward, Ambassador for the USA, attended the World Down Syndrome Congress in Brisbane. Here she shares her experience as a keynote speaker at this prestigious event.

This summer I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at the World Down Syndrome Congress in Brisbane, Australia.
The theme of this year’s Congress was “Together we can: celebrating diversity and inclusion”.
It was my first time travelling internationally and it was thrilling to find myself promoting disability rights and awareness on the other side of the world!
I spoke before an audience of almost one thousand people from 45 different countries.
My speech was entitled, “Adventures in Advocacy, With My Heart Leading the Way”.
I talked about how, when I was born, doctors told my parents that I would probably never learn to read or write.
Then I talked about my journey through the educational system and how administrators and educators tried to limit me by restricting me to a segregated special education program.
But how, by advocating for my right to be included, I accessed the general curriculum and excelled in my academics.
I then went on to become one of the few people with Down syndrome to graduate from college.
I talked about how majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Inequality and Social Change gave me critical insight and a perspective on solving social problems. This allowed me to work towards structural and systemic change, including changing the public perception of disability and working towards the passage of legislation that will benefit those with Down syndrome and other disabilities.
I talked about my heart and the open-heart surgeries and heart transplant I ultimately had and my efforts to have the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act passed by the U.S. Congress.

I talked about becoming an advocate for people with disabilities and how I am currently working at the National Down Syndrome Society as the Programs
Associate, involved in efforts to shift public perceptions and create a more inclusive society.
Throughout my speech, I repeated “If only those doctors could see me now!” to illustrate how wrong their perception of the abilities and capabilities of people with Down syndrome were.
I concluded my speech by saying, “I wish that the doctors who made such dire predictions about my life could see me now, and I wish that they could see all of you, too!
I believe that if they could see all of us now, and all that we can and will accomplish, and the impact that we are
making on the world, well, this time, I think that they would be speechless!”
My point was that we all have inherent value and worth, and that stereotypes about people with disabilities must be dispelled and the many contributions we make and the positive impacts we have on the world should be acknowledged and celebrated and encouraged!

In addition to my speech, I had the opportunity to attend many of the presentations given during the Congress, pertaining to issues such as advocacy and social inclusion, health and therapeutic advances, and education and employment, which were all very engaging and informative.
As a keynote speaker, I was invited to meet the Governor of Queensland at a reception at her mansion, which was a very exciting experience.
During the conference I had the opportunity to meet some of the presenters as well as attendees, which I enjoyed, as well.

Following the Congress, my parents and I went “on holiday” and travelled to other places in Australia.
We went to Cairns, where we explored Fitzroy Island and saw some of the Great Barrier Reef through a glass-bottomed boat, and Noosa, where we went whale watching and saw dolphins and humpback whales and went hiking in a rainforest.
It was all magical!
In Brisbane, we went to a koala sanctuary where we saw many of the animals unique to Australia. We had the opportunity to pet baby koalas and feed bouncy kangaroos. We explored the city’s museums and learned about Australia’s history and that of the Aboriginal people.
Although it was winter in Australia, the weather was quite nice and we enjoyed eating outside at the many cafes and restaurants as the Australians do.
Overall, I had an amazing time in Australia. It was quite an adventure and I feel very fortunate to have had this amazing opportunity.
It is my hope to travel to other parts of the world to both explore and experience other places and cultures and to continue to advocate for people with Down syndrome and those with other disabilities.
Learn more about the World Down Syndrome Congress:

World Down Syndrome Congress.
The World Down Syndrome Congress is chance for people with Down syndrome, their families, and experts to get together.