#and people think it's unfair that my sister is under a conservatorship because they hear down syndrome and think of like.

[jellogram]

I feel like part of the problem with disability representation is that frequently, only the people on one end of the spectrum are able to participate. Which leads to all the representation being of people on one end of the spectrum, which leads to unrealistic and unhelpful ideas about the disability.

Case in point: all the actors, influencers, etc that you see who have Down Syndrome most likely have mosaicism. This is the most mild type of the condition and only accounts for 1% of people with Down Syndrome. Most people with Down Syndrome are not able to maintain jobs or live on their own, but people mosaicism often can. But because people who don't know anyone with Down Syndrome in real life only see folks with mosaicism represented, they can end up with an inaccurate idea of Down Syndrome and its effects. This can lead to unrealistic expectations on the other 99% of individuals, and the families who need support in caring for them.

This doesn't mean the mosaicism representation is bad or wrong. It's still way better than no representation at all, and it's great for folks with that version of the condition. But it bothers me when people see that 1% of folks with Down Syndrome and assume that's all Down Syndrome is.