My Name is Olivia Hargroder I am 17 years old and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I am in my last year of High School and I work part time at Coles

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2 My Name is Olivia Hargroder I am 17 years old and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I am in my last year of High School and I work part time at Coles Supermarket. I want to travel the world as an actor, singer, dancer and public speaker. I have a great family and a dog called Dolly.

3 When I was born I was so sick that my parents couldn t even cuddle me. They stayed by my side until my heart was fixed, reading books to me. It was no surprise that reading and books became my absolute favourite thing to do as I got bigger. and stronger. The doctor told my parents that because I had Down syndrome I would never learn to speak

4 Well that was wrong. I became a chatterbox!

5 I love little kids and I have recently finished an Open University Course on Child Development. That really got me thinking..

6 One of the things I learnt was that ALL children are born OPTIMISTIC which is great. But are all people - doctors, nurses, physios, teachers, grandparents.. Are they OPTIMISTIC about ALL children? Are children with Down syndrome given the same hope as other kids?

7 LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO 3 OF MY FRIENDS

8 NATHAN BASHA He s funny, he s a great person, he works at the coolest radio station in Sydney where he meets famous people, but mostly he s inspiring. He inspires young people with Down syndrome to go and get a job or helps them with their career. He was a finalist as Young Australian of the Year and has won awards for employment inclusion.

9 MADELINE STEWART Maddy is inspiring too. We met at horse riding and then in the pool. She decided she wanted to be a model. So she worked really hard to get fit and now she models all over the world and has her own clothing label New York Fashion Week

10 RORY O CHEE He is the most amazing Photographer. He lives in Brisbane too. Our families knew each other even before we were born. You really have to see his work, it is amazing! He began with a cheap $25 camera. He is very quiet and patient. He will sit for hours waiting for the perfect shot. When he enters his photographs into competitions, like National Geographic, no-one knows he has Down syndrome, they just see his work and it blows everyone away. See if you agree?

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14 When my 3 friends, Rory, Maddy and Nathan were born would anyone have imagined they could be: The most awarded young photographer of the year? An International model? Nominated for Young Australian Of The Year? I m sure the doctor, who told me I would never speak, couldn t have imagined me here in New York, speaking to you at the United Nations?!! So, when a baby with Down syndrome is born, can t we just expect the best and believe they can be anything they want to be?

15 MAYBE DON T PUT US IN A BOX? In Australia people with Down syndrome are all put in a box called INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT The problem is, that most of the time it is my physical problems that stop me doing things. But our box doesn t include physical impairments.

16 Down syndrome Our hands don t always work too well, The work bench is always too high We can get sore feet from standing too long Our muscles don t always work too well Our joints can be unstable We may not see or hear well We may have a heart or thyroid problem Some people then think we are: Lazy Stubborn Difficult A work avoider Maybe if they knew about our physical difficulties we could get a bit more help and understanding?

17 If I want to compete in district school sport I have to fit into a Paralympic box. I have to stay in the INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT box. Even though I have had so many knee and foot operations.

18 So many of us swim and would love the chance to compete in the Paralympics. But next to other people in our box, who are often big, tall and strong, we never get a chance to make a National team Geoff Heugill is one of our Olympic swimmers. Maybe he should be called Geoff Huge?!

19 At the moment there are 3 Paralympic boxes: 1. Intellectual Impairment for people with an IQ under Physical Impairment with sections for Problems with Muscles Problems with Joints People of Small Stature 3. Visual Impairment for people with low or no vision As an athlete with Down syndrome we can only swim in the Intellectual Impairment Box, even though we may have all of the other Physical and Visual Impairments. Is this fair?

20 Hey! Why don t we have our own box? Where we all have the same problems Where our physical problems are realised Where we are a similar size Where we all have an extra chromosome Down Syndrome There are around 8 million of us across the world, why not? It would be so much easier for Sport Education Health Government forms

21 So if we have to be put in a boxlet s make it our own box? With plenty of room for us all and definitely - no lid! Why???...

22 Because we are optimistic about our own future and we may just want to fly. Thank you