Dear John:
Nordic countries are well known for their wealth and high standard of living, but tragically, particularly in Iceland and Denmark, a brutal form of discrimination exists against people with Down syndrome, who are aborted at extremely high rates. While the eradication of persons with Down syndrome is not a policy target, there nevertheless exists a pervasive norm within the medical community, abetted by permissive abortion laws, to encourage prenatal testing and steer women toward abortion in the event of a Down syndrome diagnosis.
In partnership with the Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA, C-Fam submitted a report on this issue in advance of Iceland’s human rights review before the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva next year, which occurs in the context of the UN Human Rights Council. The report author Rebecca Oas, Ph.D., will talk about the submission.
Come hear from Down syndrome advocates that work each day to create a more inclusive culture for persons with Down syndrome including providing life-sustaining heart surgeries for babies born with congenital heart defects in developing countries.
We hope you will join us!
Yours sincerely,
