Martha E. Walls

(She/Her/They)

2

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Focusing solely on the physical conditions that can coincide with Down syndrome disregards the important nuance of lived experience. (Unsplash)

Down syndrome isn’t a tragedy — but misinformation about it is

Martha E. Walls, Mount Saint Vincent University and Cornelia Schneider, Mount Saint Vincent University

YouTuber Jesse Ridgway’s post about his family’s decision to terminate a pregnancy due to a Down syndrome diagnosis has sparked debate about the persistence of eugenics narratives.
United States Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference on the Autism report by the CDC in Washington, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Uninformed comments on autism are resonant of dangerous ideas about eugenics

Cornelia Schneider, Mount Saint Vincent University and Martha E. Walls, Mount Saint Vincent University

Part of a eugenic logic is the ongoing belief that erasing disability and people with disabilities is a desirable and commonsense objective.

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