When our daughter Billie-Jo was born, many images entered my mind, not least the people with Down’s syndrome I had met whilst working at the local ‘Cheshire’s home’ as a young boy. I instinctively knew that Billie-Jo wasn’t destined for the same route through life, but wondered what opportunities would be available to her. From meeting so many children through the ‘365 project’, www.ds2005.com, I was made aware that, like any aspect of life, the children I had met showed a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Some of the children I met may not find mainstream education suitable for their needs and will probably not become film actors or chefs or dancers, but that’s not to say that they won’t lead fulfilling lives and with the right guidance and expectations, reach their full potential.
The images in this calendar aim to show, that people with Down’s syndrome are no longer expected to spend their days ‘languishing’ in a care home, but ARE expected to attempt the kind of things that ‘we’ all take for granted.
There is no reason why they shouldn’t get married, there is no reason why they shouldn’t attend mainstream school and go onto further education, there is no reason why they shouldn’t go on to gain some kind of employment.
There is no reason why they shouldn’t live happy and full lives surrounded by the people who love them. The images and those people that I saw on rare occasions in public, twenty and thirty years ago, are being replaced by confident young adults. The more we show this, the more accepting ‘society’ will become, the more opportunities will become available and the future can only get brighter for the next generation of children with Down’s syndrome.

RICHARD BAILEY©









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Billy was born on the 25th July 2002 .
After months of bottom-shuffling he started to walk just after his third birthday.
When ‘all the other children’ are up and running, it can sometimes be disheartening when your own child is making slow progress, but one thing is certain, they will get there and when they do, that first step will be so much sweeter. Look out for Billy in the special Olympics 2018
 



Billie-Jo Bailey is (shown here) in Year 2 at her London school, which she has been attending from playschool onwards. Here you can see her pondering on her twelve times table…..!!?Hmmm.
From year one Billie-Jo has been fortunate to have the classroom assistance of the wonderful Miss Donna, who is able to help Billie-Jo when necessary, but is also able to step back and give her the space to assert her individuality. Like many Six year olds, Billie-Jo likes swimming, dancing and playing with her friends, especially Phillipa.


 

Sarah attends a busy secondary school in Central London. Here she is shown hanging out in the playground with some of her friends. Sarah is already famous as her parents have written a very honest and heart-warming book called ‘A minor Adjustment’ about their experience of having a child with Down’s syndrome.


 

Kate works part-time at the DSA offices in Teddington where she is also the editor of the DSA magazine ‘Down to Earth’. In the photograph we see Kate and friends, taking a well earned break from her training course at the Platform 1 café based at Clapham Junction. Platform 1 is run by the Camden Society which runs community businesses such as Cafes and gardening where anyone with a learning disability can get both vocational training and qualifications, whilst serving the public.


 

23 year old Chris Pavia is an accomplished and ambitious dancer/actor.
Chris successfully completed an apprenticeship with Stop Gap in September 2001, graduating to become a full member of the company. He is one of the leading professional disabled dancers in the country. Stop Gap is a vibrant integrated dance company that includes dancers with and without disabilities. The group challenge traditional notions about dance and recognises and celebrates the individuality and the differences between people. Their vision is to create a world continually searching for what can be done, whilst refusing to accept the phrase “It cannot be done” Stop Gap: 01252 718 664


 

Stephen recently represented Great Britain in the World Down’s syndrome swimming Championships in Durban, South Africa taking individual Silver medals for the 25m freestyle and 25m backstroke. He also represented Great Britain at the Special Olympic World Championships 2005, held in Glasgow, where he won the Gold medal for 100m freestyle. Stephen is an active member of the Worcestershire Special Olympics athletics group, which meets once a week , where he participates in sporting activities ranging from football to cross-country runs.


 

From left to right: Saleta, Jeremy, Mark, Eve, Lucie and Darren.
Kaleidoscope theatre was founded in 1980. Their original and highly acclaimed productions have travelled countrywide and abroad to many important venues. Kaleidoscopes young thespians have made countless appearances on radio, television and in the press over the years and may have been spotted in A Touch of Frost on the small screen and in Shooting Fish and Titanic Town at the cinema. Eight members of Kaleidoscope (six of whom happen to have Down's syndrome) live and work together all year round in a rambling house in Shropshire and they are joined by friends for rehearsal and performances.


 

Georgina started performing in the Special Olympics as a gymnast at the tender age of 8. She has represented her country at 5 different Olympics, gaining an astonishing array of medals along the way. At the National Special Olympics in Glasgow of this year, Georgina won a gold and 2 silvers in swimming Georgina works as an Assistant Chef at one of Cheshire’s top restaurants and also manages to find the time to coach for the local swimming club. She is also an ambassador for the Special Olympics and has spoken at many of their conferences. You can sample her culinary flair at the Millpool Restaurant in South  Cheshire.


 

Andrea and Paul first met each other as children when they went to live at the Ormerod Home.
That was 32 years ago and they have been a couple now for more than 20 years. Last year they fulfilled their dream of getting married and are quite the celebrity couple as their story has been featured in many magazines and newspapers around the UK. Jo works part time as an Domestic Assistant and paul works as a Porter at a local Hotel. They live in their own flat, with minimal supervision and enjoy a varied and interesting social life. They are well known in their home town and can often be seen walking, hand in hand, as lovers do, carrying out their shopping and general chores. It was a joy to photograph them as they are clearly very much in love.



 

Jo Eastwood (left) Jo’s long CV encompasses work in Film, Theatre, TV and radio. Most recently she had a featured role in the 2004 film Hell boy which starred John Hurt. Jo had the lead role in the film the ‘English goodbye’ produced by Pragmatic films. She played the lead role in the Radio 4 play Novavox and has also played lead roles in many ‘Strathcona’ produced plays. Jo is 26 years old and having achieved four GSCe’s she undertook further college training in social and healthcare services. She now combines her acting carer with occasional work at a central London hospital. She lives independently in her own flat in the London area.
Emma Cambridge (right) Emma joined the Chicken Shed Theatre group when she was seven and has played major roles in many of their productions since. Emma took the leading role of Alice in a new musical called ‘Alice On The Underground’ which was performed at he Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2004 She has also made a Controversial TV appearance in the BBC drama The Messiah – Vengeance is Mine. Emma completed and passed seven GCSE’s and is now taking a Foundation Degree In Performance at the Chicken Shed Theatre in conjunction with Middlesex University as well as continuing her career in theatre, film and television. Chicken Shed Theatre : 020 8292 9222


PRESS RELEASE FOR DS2006

A theatre troupe, a chef, a special Olympian and a married couple, all of whom have Down’s syndrome, are to be the stars of a calendar that will raise awareness and funds for charity. The London photographer who produced the calendar and who has a six-year-old daughter with the syndrome, wants to challenge people’s misconceptions about Down’s syndrome and show the positive things that can be achieved. Richard Bailey said: “The images encourage the person looking; to ask themselves questions about what they think of Down’s syndrome, the people living with it and what can be achieved by those people.” The 2006 photographs follow on from the success of Richard’s ‘365 project’ in 2005, which photographed one child with DS for every day of the year. That project set out to show how diverse and un-stereotypical the children were. Richard and his wife set out to produce the first calendar as a direct result of the negative feelings they experienced when their first child, Billie-Jo, was born and diagnosed with Down’s syndrome in 1999. They were, by their own admission, very upset when advised she had Down’s syndrome – mostly because they had, what they now know to be, a negative and ill-conceived concept of what it meant. Richard Bailey said: “Billie-Jo is now six years old and is the loveliest little girl you could ever meet. She is funny, strong-willed and very gentle. She attends mainstream school and is featured in this year’s calendar in her classroom.” “In a world where people with Down’s syndrome are categorised and pigeon-holed for their perceived disabilities, this calendar and its subjects shout out ‘Look at me. Look at what I can do!’ ”I hope the photographs change at least a few people’s ideas about DS and convey the message that people who have Down’s syndrome are individuals and should not be defined by their disability.”