How Does Down Syndrome Affect Society

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The condition of Down syndrome is explained to be a medical condition in where an extra copy of the 21st chromosome is added. It results in many abnormal characteristics, health effects, and delayed development in the body. “Approximately 6,000 babies are born in the United States each year with Down syndrome” (“How Many People Are Affected By”). Unfortunately, across the nation, many people are trying to reduce the population because people with Down syndrome are difficult to take care of. They focus on the negative effects of Down syndrome, and the positive effects are hidden in the shadows. Discrimination towards people with down syndrome is evident in medical research and funding, birth decisions, and job opportunities.

To begin, people …show more content…

In the first place, it is very hard for a person with Down syndrome to find a job. Research from the National Down Syndrome Congress, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation informs that only 57% of a survey of 511 people with Down syndrome were employed (Neal). This shows that not a lot of companies want to offer a person with Down syndrome a job. An adult with Down syndrome may have a lot of skill, but companies may not want to hire them because of their looks, or their different characteristics. To continue, if an individual with Down syndrome even gets a job, they are paid much lower than that of a normal employee. For example, based on results from a Nation Survey, the average wage of a person with Down syndrome is $7.46 per hour (“Down Syndrome: Imagine the Possibilities”). This is a very low average wage in comparison to a normal person. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the average American worker got paid $24.57 per hour” (Campbell). The average hourly wage of a person with Down syndrome is significantly lower than the average hourly wage of an average American worker. This exemplifies discrimination towards Down syndrome in job opportunities due to a lower