Down TV is a Premier Video Library Exclusively Dedicated to Down’s syndrome Awareness

12 February 2014. Down TV (http://www.downtv.org/) hit several milestones in 2013 by having its videos reach 1,000,000 hits and acquiring over 10,000 Facebook followers. Launched 3 years ago in Spain by the foundation Invest for children (i4c, www.investforchildren.org), Down TV’s main objective is to offer people with Down’s syndrome, parents and professionals an online video library about Down’s syndrome.

“We are so pleased.  This website came to life with an informative aim, but thanks to the audience and the efforts done, it has become a reference for Down’s syndrome.”  -Urbano Gropello and María Vicente (Managers, Down TV)

Down TV is a video sharing website that enables the audience to upload personal videos. All material is classified and reviewed prior to official posting to avoid inappropriate content.  The videos were created to reach families, professionals, and individuals with Down´s Syndrome.

In addition, potential employers interested in reaching out to those living with Down’s Syndrome can use Down TV as a resource. The “Employment” section includes inspiring stories of people who have provided opportunities for Down’s Syndrome employees while also diversifying their workforce.

Down TV also provides seminars, documentaries, short films and pedagogical material as a resource for those looking to work with individuals with Down’s Syndrome.  Visitors to the Down TV site are offered a point of view from a boy with Down’s Syndrome in the “Quim’s World” section. Quim writes about how he has come to thrive professionally and personally despite the diagnosis.

Videos like BABY DOWN (http://www.downtv.org/masvistos.asp?id_video=893), receiving 6,000 views, and a successful Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DownTV), contribute to Down TV’s vast international reach. The managers of Down TV, Urbano Gropello and María Vicente, contribute the success to, “Being active! We recently held a video contest on Facebook called, ‘Let Me Win’.  The contest featured videos of athletes living with disabilities. The winner of the Social Media Prize was decided by which video accrued the most ‘Likes’.  The winning film, “Sebastián Romero Sánchez, si me enseñas yo puedo”, (“If You Teach Me I Can”, http://www.downtv.org/seccion.asp?id=22&id_video=2458) won with  800 ‘likes!’”

“Down TV shows different aspects of life for children living with Down’s syndrome, including educational applications, ways to promote creativity with art, and musical therapy, through the medium of videos. By doing so, society becomes more aware of the characteristics of people with Down’s syndrome, which improves their social integration.”  -Urbano Gropello and María Vicente (Managers, Down TV)

Down TV is sponsored by: BASF, Bocca Sant Cugat, Diasorin, Fundació FC Barcelona, Fundació Mapfre, Grimaldi Lines, Havas Media Group, Joyería Roca, Lavazza, Obra Social La Caixa, T-Systems and Zurich.