FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sarah Schleider sschleider@ndss.org/ 212-763-4369
Sarah Brachman Receives Advocate of the Year Award From The National Down Syndrome Society
New York, NY (February 15, 2010).
The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) awarded Fort Worth resident Sarah Brachman the prestigious NDSS Advocate of the year Award at a special awards dinner during the NDSS Buddy Walk on Washington DC on February 7, 2011. Ms. Brachman is a young woman with Down syndrome who was recognized for her successful legislative advocacy.
Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX) presented the award to Ms. Brachman and Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) also spoke to the group in honor of Sarah’s award and accomplishments. Rep. Sessions said, “It is an honor to present the NDSS Advocate of the Year Award to Sarah Brachman, a former intern in my office, for her outstanding work as an advocate for individuals with Down syndrome. Sarah is truly an inspiration to us all and I am ever grateful for her unwavering dedication to the Down syndrome community’s concerns and advocacy on Capitol Hill.”
Ms. Brachman is a fourth generation native of Fort Worth, Texas who currently lives at the Stewart Home School in Frankfort, Kentucky, where she takes an active role in the school community, including serving in the student government. Ms. Brachman has used every opportunity to help educate those around her about what it means to live with Down syndrome. Over the last several years she has interned in the Kentucky office of U.S. Representative Ben Chandler (D-KY) and the Washington office of U.S. Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX). Sarah has been a vocal advocate for the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus, personally recruiting over 30 Members of Congress to join the caucus.
The Buddy Walk on Washington is a national conference that brings leaders in the Down syndrome community together to visit their elected officials on Capitol Hill and send a strong message of advocacy from the Down syndrome community about important national policy priorities. Over 200 parent and self-advocate leaders from 37 states attended the awards dinner and meet the next day with their Members of Congress and staff.
About NDSS: The National Down Syndrome Society is a nonprofit organization representing the more than 400,000 Americans with Down syndrome. The mission of NDSS is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. The National Down Syndrome Society envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming community. NDSS has over 330 affiliates worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ndss.org.