Good morning.
It is a pleasure to join you as you celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Down Syndrome Family Network and prepare to observe World Down Syndrome Day 2026.
Anniversaries invite reflection. As we reflect today on this organization’s anniversary, we recognise not only longevity, but leadership. The Down Syndrome Family Network has distinguished itself as a pioneer—being the first in the region to host a World Down Syndrome Day Conference, the first to organise an annual Buddy Walk, and among the first to create sustained programmes of training, advocacy and family support at this scale in Trinidad and Tobago. You have not waited for change; you have led it. In doing so, you have set a standard for others to follow, and you have transformed countless lives. For all of this, you have my admiration and a nation’s thanks.
This year’s theme, “Standing Together Against Loneliness,” could not be more important. Loneliness is a quiet but profound challenge — one that affects many, but which is often especially acute for persons with disabilities. Too often, barriers of stigma, misunderstanding, and exclusion leave individuals not only on the margins of opportunity, but also on the margins of connection and belonging.
And yet, I believe that the answer is within our reach. Because – at least to my mind – if loneliness is born of exclusion, then it is overcome by inclusion. When I speak here of “inclusion”, I am not speaking of ‘surface’ inclusion. I am speaking about something far deeper. I am speaking of a society that – through the work of organizations like yours – comes to recognize that it is not enough for persons with Down syndrome merely to be present; but that they must be participants — fully included in the everyday activities of everyday life: in our schools, our workplaces, our places of worship, our communities, and our friendships.
This is not, for me, an abstract idea. It is deeply personal. My Goddaughter, who is three years old, is a person with Down syndrome. She is a beautiful child, whom I love with all my heart. And what I want for her is simple, but profound: that she not to be locked out of opportunities, but for her to be welcomed into them—to learn, to play, to laugh, to grow, and to belong, just like any other child. I want her life to be defined, not by limits imposed by others, but by the fullness of her own potential.
And what I want for her, I want for every person with Down syndrome in our nation.
I want a society in which no one is consigned to loneliness, but where each person is supported to step forward, to participate, and to excel. We see what that looks like in the lives of Matthew Schwab, Daniel Gulston, Tyrese and our other self-advocates [Christy, Pedro, Kelly, Rochelle, Surya] — individuals who have worked hard to be included in the everyday fabric of life, and who have, in turn, demonstrated excellence, leadership and contribution. They are not exceptions; they are examples — living proof of what becomes possible when inclusion is real.
Their stories remind us that inclusion is not an act of benevolent charity; it is an act of fundamental social justice. It enriches not only those who are included, but all of us, as a society.
So today, as we “stand together against loneliness,” let us do more than speak. Let us act. Let us open our spaces, extend our invitations, challenge our assumptions, and build communities where every person feels seen, valued and connected.
The Down Syndrome Family Network has shown us what leadership in this space looks like — bold, compassionate, and first in action. Now, the task before all of us is to follow that lead.
There is every reason to be hopeful. Because when we choose inclusion, we choose connection. When we choose connection, we diminish loneliness. And when we stand together, there is no barrier we cannot overcome.
Let us therefore continue to build a Trinidad and Tobago in which every person with Down syndrome is not only present, but embraced; not only accommodated, but celebrated; not only included, but empowered to thrive.
Happy Anniversary, and may your pioneering work continue to inspire us all.
Thank you.
See full photo album of the Conference below:
