Happy International Women's Day

Today we celebrate International Women's Day and the women of WDSC 2024. The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion. This echoes the theme of WDSC 2024: Together We Can - celebrating diversity and inclusion.

Celebrating the women who are bringing

WDSC 2024 to life!

Ruth Faragher

Ruth is 26 years old and has completed a Certificate 3 in early childhood education and care. Her passion is working with children. Her dream job is to be the centre manager of her own childcare business.

Ruth has travelled around the world to give presentations about Down syndrome and the things that people with Down syndrome can do. She wants more people to understand and learn more about different disabilities.

Claire Mitchell

Claire Mitchell is a self-advocate and is passionate about being a voice for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. Claire is the first Independent Director with Down syndrome on the Down Syndrome

Australia Board and is also an active member of the Down Syndrome Advisory Network (DSAN). Claire also sits on the NDIA Participant Reference Group (PRG). Claire’s main goal is to raise awareness about the contributions that people with intellectual disabilities can bring to their community, and how they can best be supported to be involved. Claire believes in having a positive attitude and that the best support outcomes happen when everyone is working together as a team.

New Speaker Announcement

Dr Kathy Cologon (she/her) lives and works on Darkinjung Country. Kathy is Principal Consultant at Toward Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Inclusive Education at Macquarie University. Kathy is privileged to work with many children, families, teachers, educators, allied professionals, services, and a wide range of organisations.

Kathy is privileged to work with many children, families, teachers, educators, allied professionals, services, and a wide range of organisations. The crux of what drives Kathy's work is a belief in the value of human beings in all our wonderful diversities and recognition that this has important implications for the role of education and accessibility in our communities. Through her work, Kathy seeks to contribute to increased knowledge and understanding regarding how to provide effective opportunities to enable all people to flourish as valued community members. This requires challenging normative and deficit assumptions and engaging with practical issues relating to children's rights and inclusion. With extensive experience in the field prior to commencing her work in academia, followed by 15 years of educating teachers, Kathy has a depth and breadth of understanding of the many facets of inclusive education. This continues to develop through her ongoing research and engagement with children, families, teachers and allied professionals. Kathy is nationally and internationally renowned for her work in Inclusive Education, including literacy learning, and Disability Studies. Kathy has published more than 50 papers, book chapters, and books.

Register with a discounted rate!

Early Bird registration is closing soon

Registering for World Down Syndrome Congress 2024 guarantees you a ticket to the largest gathering of our international community. Congress is an opportunity to learn from one another, hear from leading experts and build connections for life. Take advantage of our 10% Early Bird discount before it closes on Thursday 21 March.