A big change has come to the Burnaby-based DSRF in the form of three little letters.
And yet, from another perspective, nothing has really changed at all.
“Our name is changing but we are not,” says CEO Wayne Leslie of the organization’s shift from the Down Syndrome Research Foundation to its new moniker - the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation.
“The new name is really a reflection of how DSRF has evolved over many years to meet the needs of individuals with Down syndrome and their families,” Leslie said. “From the very beginning, even when research was our primary focus, we provided individual services like speech therapy. Over time, it became clear the way for DSRF to have the greatest, most direct impact on the lives of individuals with Down syndrome—the hope of our founder Jo Mills—was to focus on providing more of the resources that families said they needed most. Today, that’s everything from expanded speech language and occupational therapies to individual and group education programs, while our information services equip both families and professionals who support the Down syndrome community. It’s taken awhile, but our name has finally caught up with who we have very proudly been for a very long time.”
The mission of the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation, which is located on Sperling Avenue in Burnaby, remains what it has been for many years: to empower individuals with Down syndrome to reach their full potential throughout life by pioneering and providing educational programs and services, disseminating information, and changing attitudes. In so doing, DSRF is working towards achieving the vision of a Canada that values and empowers people living with Down syndrome and promotes social and economic inclusion across the lifespan.
The Down Syndrome Resource Foundation offers a wide variety of educational opportunities and therapy services to children and young adults with Down syndrome, including ground-breaking one to one reading and math instruction, speech language therapy, occupational therapy, positive behavior support and adult education programs which prepare students to live full and fulfilling lives in the community and workplace. DSRF’s programs and services are continually evolving based on the latest intervention research and best practice, and are delivered by a multi-disciplinary professional staff team specializing in Down syndrome.
The Down Syndrome Resource Foundation was established in 1995 and will celebrate 25 years of service to the Lower Mainland Down syndrome community in 2020. To learn more about the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation, visit DSRF.orgor follow @DSRFCanada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
