WELLINGTON COUNTY – Sept. 9 is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day.
FASD Day, and the month of September, is devoted to raising awareness, and to challenge current misinformation and stigma surrounding FASD.
Dufferin Wellington Guelph FASD encourages everyone to wear red; red shoes, red shirts, anything red, to show your support for individuals with FASD.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong disability that affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
Each person with FASD has unique strengths and challenges, and may need special supports and resources to help them succeed with different parts of their daily lives.
Current studies and research suggest that up to four per cent of individuals in Canada are living with FASD (1 in 25 or 1,451,600 Canadians) and over 60% of Canadian pregnancies are unplanned.
Therefore, guidelines from CanFASD suggest we refrain from suggesting that FASD is 100% preventable.
Wear red to show support
Red Shoes Rock is a grassroots movement that has gained international recognition as a way to bring attention to this disability.
Canadian educator and advocate, RJ Formanek, wore red shoes on an international stage to talk about FASD.
For him, wearing red shoes is a symbol of power and strength. As such, wearing red shoes, or anything red, has now come to be recognized as a symbol of FASD Awareness.
During the month of September, while wearing red, take a selfie, and tag us on Facebook using #DWGFASD and you will be entered into a draw to win a gift card.
For more information about Dufferin Wellington Guelph FASD services, visit dufferinwellingtonfasd.com or contact FASD coordinators, Tara Leskey at tara.leskey@dcafs.on.ca (519-941-1530, ext. 237) or Jennie Hilts at jennie.hilts@dcafs.on.ca (519-941-1530, ext. 386).
