For World Down Syndrome Day 21 March, 2025, CoorDown has launched an international awareness campaign “NO DECISION WITHOUT US” by creative agency SMALL.
CoorDown campaign
The aim is to demand the presence of people with disabilities at the tables where decisions are made.
It is not just a matter of providing specific opportunities to include, but about changing the way we all live together: people with disabilities want to be where decisions are made and where the world is designed.
According to the World Health Organization, at least one billion people, 15% of the global population, live with a disability. But where are these people when the world they live in takes shape?
They are not the protagonists; the rooms where decisions are made remain closed and there is a risk that they are becoming increasingly inaccessible.
This applies to all people with disabilities.
Two years ago, the film “Ridiculous Excuses Not To Be Inclusive” began with these words: “In a world increasingly attentive to inclusivity, only one trick remains to avoid it: invent ridiculous excuses.”
Today, we see steps backward on the issue of inclusion, the non-profit said.
While the hard-won rights and achievements of people with disabilities at work, school, in sports, and society are being challenged and erased by decrees, CoorDown and associations around the world, not only want to resist but want to take a hundred steps forward.
The “NO DECISION WITHOUT US” film was born out of a commitment to the importance of including people with Down syndrome, and disabilities in general, in decision-making processes.
They are united by their demand to be part of the conversations that shape their lives—from the clothes they wear, to how they live, from school to work, and how the spaces around them are designed—because what is right for some is not always right for all.
CoorDown President Martina Fuga states: «We all know the weight of having decisions made by others, without being able to express our voice. The fact is that people with disabilities experience this frustration every day.
“They face it in their private lives, at school, at work, in the spaces they inhabit, when they travel, and in social life. After years of slow but significant progress toward a more inclusive world, today we are facing a worrying setback.
“With this campaign, we join our voice with all people with disabilities, launching a call to action that transcends every division and barrier.
“Only by standing united and firmly demanding a place at the decision-making table can we confront this historical moment that seems intent on relegating people with disabilities to silence and invisibility.”
Luca Lorenzini and Luca Pannese, Executive Creative Directors, SMALL New York: «This year we chose to adopt a new language: the musical. This type of execution allowed us to convey an important message in an engaging way, thanks to the power of music.
“The casting process was exciting, especially because we had the opportunity to shoot in Los Angeles, a city unique in the world for the talent it offers.
“It was thrilling to select the various characters, each with extraordinary vocal abilities, and we are very pleased with the final result.
“A special thanks also goes to Rich Lee, a director with whom we have already collaborated twice for CoorDown and who always brings a truly unique creative vision to the set.