 The next item of business is members' business debate on motion 10188, in the name of Johann Lamont on Down syndrome awareness week. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put, and I would ask those who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons. I call on Johann Lamont to open the debate around seven minutes, please. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to thank colleagues from across the chamber for their support for this motion, and for staying to attend this afternoon's debate. Indeed, I have been struck by the number of people who have given their apologies. They are supportive of the issues that have been highlighted, but are unable to remain for the debate itself. I regard it as an honour to be able to lead this debate. Down syndrome awareness week presents us with the perfect opportunity to improve awareness, knowledge and understanding, and to help society to see past Down syndrome. This week ties in with the United Nations-recognised world down syndrome day, which took place yesterday. It is therefore timely that we in this Parliament join in the global efforts to advocate the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome. I am sure that I am not the only person who has been inspired, but all the activities on social media and elsewhere highlight it. Excuse me a moment, Ms Lamont. May I ask those who are leaving the public gallery to do so quietly, please? Those activities highlight the talents and abilities of people with Down syndrome. I would like to commend Down syndrome Scotland for organising the special concert on Sunday evening, which formally launched the awareness week and raised funds for people living with Down syndrome. I had the pleasure of attending the event and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I am also grateful for the information and advice that Down syndrome Scotland provided in advance of this debate. The key theme for this week's awareness week is inclusion in employment. Employment rates for people with disabilities, including Down syndrome, is far below the national average, as opportunities for paid employment remains limited and transition from education to the workplace continues to be a challenge. There is a need to better support transition from education to employment, as well as encouraging employers and other partners to see a person's abilities, not just Down syndrome. Their prevailing negative stigma towards people with Down syndrome can result in low expectations, discrimination and exclusion, creating communities where people can find it difficult to integrate with others. I would reflect that there has been significant progress in attitudes from when I was a little girl. That has been down to the work of families of people with Down syndrome challenging people's preconceptions. In moving forward, we need to have families and people with Down syndrome at the very centre of changing policy. For despite some progress, negative assumptions and discrimination persist towards people with Down syndrome. Misconceptions include outdated ideas that people with Down syndrome are always happy, that children with Down syndrome cannot attend mainstream school, that people with Down syndrome cannot read or write, or that they cannot hold down a job. Down syndrome Scotland published a report, Listen to Me, I Have a Voice, last year, which focused on the experience of people with Down syndrome with healthcare professionals and services. One of the recommendations is for all professionals to ensure that people with Down syndrome and their families are treated with dignity and respect by using people first language. People with Down syndrome are all unique individuals and should be acknowledged as a person first and foremost. Down syndrome is only a part of a person. That is why we should always use people first language. For example, do not see a Down's child, see a child with Down syndrome. It has been argued that by using the right language, we can help to raise awareness and challenge negative stereotypes, types of Down syndrome. Good transitions are crucial to guarantee successful education and employment. Awareness Week 2018 gives us an opportunity to raise the issue of transition for school leavers with Down syndrome. Down syndrome Scotland indicates that it continues to receive feedback from families regarding the lack of support that is too many encountered at this crucial time. Nobody is aiming high for our kids, says one parent, while another explains that people need to feel that they are useful. Successful engagement on transitions also relies on establishing trust between young people, their parents and professionals. Trust cannot be reached without good communication between all parties involved. Transitions can lead to anxiety and loneliness for young people and their parents who worry about the lack of opportunities. Down syndrome Scotland has indicated that it would welcome better data on positive destinations and information about pupils leaving school. Down syndrome Scotland knows of some members who spent years at college and ended up with no job. Parents have also reported that, as the end of school approaches, they agreed to whatever is offered to them because of a lack of options and the fear that their child will end up with nothing otherwise. That cannot be acceptable. Down syndrome Scotland does not think that those examples can be described as a positive destination and believes that transition for pupils with Down syndrome should be better monitored and evaluated properly to assess the help that is received by young people and their families at this critical time and ensure that their progress and wishes are truly supported. I would be grateful if this is something that the minister could reflect on in the summing up. If positive destination is anything but that, it is essential that the Government acts to address that problem. Moreover, when looking at employment and we all know how important work can be in giving people a sense of belonging and contributing to their community, people with Down syndrome say that accessing paid employment remains a significant challenge. According to the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities Research, the employment rate for people with a learning disability sits between 7 to 25 per cent compared with Scotland's national employment rate of 73 per cent. Why is that not a source of greater outrage to us all? Down syndrome Scotland believes that stronger actions are needed to challenge negative stereotypes in society and the workplace. We all have different abilities and some young people with Down syndrome may need more support than others to access work. However, the additional support that is required should not become a barrier to giving young people a chance to develop their skills and contribute to Scottish society. It should be seen as a right for all young people to achieve their potential. It is also essential to provide enough support to employers. The world Down syndrome congress will take place in Glasgow in July of this year and will bring together people with Down syndrome, their families, carers, professionals and others who have an interest in their lives. A number of adults and young people with Down syndrome are preparing to be either commissioners or hosts for the congress. They will play a vital role in ensuring that those attending have a truly great experience. With more than 1,200 people expected to attend, I am sure that everyone in the chamber will join me in wishing the organisers and volunteers the best of luck. Securing the congress is an amazing achievement for all those involved, and the congress itself, I am sure, will make all the work worthwhile. All year round, Down syndrome Scotland and its members worked tirelessly to tackle stigma and encourage greater inclusion in schools, the community and working environment, enabling people to live, work and participate with confidence and independence. I hope that the debate this afternoon has helped to inform that the issues around the challenges that people with Down syndrome face in terms of the transition from education and employment. We are able to reflect on what we can do to help people with Down syndrome to reach their full potential and to respond to their energy in bringing those issues to our attention. We move to the open debate. I would ask for speeches of four minutes, please. I have Kenneth Gibson followed by Brian Whittle. I thank Johann Lamont for securing debating time on this matter during Down syndrome awareness week, providing an opportunity to highlight the societal contribution made by and issues affecting people with Down syndrome in Scotland and beyond. With approximately one in every thousand babies born with a condition, Down syndrome is the most frequently recognised form of learning disability. It occurs randomly at the point of conception and affects males and females alike. As it is such a common feature of our society, this week also offers a chance to commend the essential services provided by organisations and individuals across the country working to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome. Perhaps the most influential of those organisations in Scotland is Down syndrome Scotland, which apparently led charity established in 1982 with the vision of creating a society that fully accepts people with the condition. They are currently the only charity in Scotland dedicated solely to supporting people with Down syndrome in their carers, providing all-through-life support across Scotland. With eight branches across Scotland, the charity provides constant support and a wide range of clubs and activities, thanks to their dedicated volunteers, aiming to assist families and individuals through fellowship and friendship. The key theme for this year's awareness week is inclusion and employment. It is selected as employment rates for people with disabilities fall far below the national average, as John Lamont indicated. Opportunities for paid employment remain limited, while transition from education to the workplace continues to be a challenge. Therefore, the transition must be eased and employers are encouraged to see a person's abilities not just their condition. Over the past two years, the Scottish Government has worked towards improving the quality of life of people with Down syndrome through important strategies such as the keys to life or a fairer Scotland for disabled people. Nonetheless, recent reports show more work is needed in implementation. Regarding Down syndrome, eradicating stigma is important. To do so, DSS recommended using people first language, which acknowledges individuals with Down syndrome as people first and foremost, not defined by their condition. All eyes will be on Scotland this July, when the SCCC will host the Triennial World Down Syndrome Conference. It deals with topics of experience, research and practice, widening opportunities and improving lives. Although all Congress will bring together people with Down syndrome, their families, carers and others with an interest in their lives, while more than 1,000 delegates are expected to attend a four-day event. The Congress will have a fantastic opportunity to highlight the progress that is being made internationally and for those from different walks of life and diverse backgrounds to share their experiences. Raising awareness of Down syndrome this week can take many forms, such as wearing odd socks, holding a tea for 21 parties and attending an awareness event, making a charitable donation or simply sharing a hashtag on social media. Online negativity and harassment may seem all too prevalent, yet digital content that facilitates positive discourse can have far-reaching effects. In fact, just last week, two videos sharing a positive message surrounding Down syndrome went viral. A video of five-year-old Chloe Lennon from Irvineershire has been shared more than 330,000 times across the world, racking up over 10 million views. In the video posted by her mum, Jade, she explains that world Down syndrome awareness day is on 21 March, encouraging people to wear odd socks that day as part of the lots of socks celebration. The video had an inspiring effect, with thousands of positive comments and messages flooding in. In addition, a group of 50 millers of children with Down syndrome collaborated on our carpool, carry a crystal video to raise awareness and help to change attitudes. The video, called 50 Mums, 50 Kids, One Extra Chromosome, is being shared with a hashtag, wouldn't change a thing and carries a heartwarming and powerful message about disability, diversity and inclusion. One mother who participated in this project said, we wouldn't change our children, but we want to change the world for our children. I am sure that any parent can empathise with that statement, and a more universal sense and increasingly inclusive society is something that we all ought to strive towards. As such, marking this week with debates such as this is incredibly important, the reaction to these videos is testament to the fact that visibility truly matters and proves that we must work together to ensure that our society reflects the needs of all. I thank Johann Lamont for bringing this debate to the chamber. I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute. Down syndrome is discussed as a disability. First, I want to highlight again that the word disability to me is a misnomer. Time and again, we are reminded of the contribution to our society that the so-called disability community gave us. Just last week, for example, we lost one of the greatest minds of our time in Professor Stephen Hawkins, who I don't think anybody could deny had an astonishing impact on our understanding of physics, cosmology and the universe no less. If winter Paralympics have just concluded with athletes, including those from these shores performing at the very highest level of physical and mental ability, ability indeed on show for all of us to marvel at. I have to say that I have been lucky enough in my time to have coached, in fact, athletes in Paralympics sport and the Special Olympics, as well as the so-called able-bodied. They all trained together in squad sessions and although they are individuals, they all have individual nuances, because every single athlete that I have ever coached is an individual with individual traits and abilities. Please, I respectfully suggest that we start talking about ability, not disability. That gives me the opportunity to discuss local Ayrshire heroine Fiona Davidson, a young woman with Down syndrome, often seen by the side of press week swimming pool, where she volunteers as a swim coach for children and adults alike. Fiona is also a member of the team GB's Paralympic team, having travelled the world in pursuit of sporting excellence and also works part-time in an office and a shop. As was highlighted in Johann Lamont's speech, she is in a minority of adults with learning disabilities and paid employment. It is entirely appropriate in Down syndrome awareness week that we take the opportunity to highlight as much as we possibly can in this anomaly. This is in part due to the fact that employers are unaware that there may be support for them when employing people who have specific needs. Jeremy Balfour and I delivered a workshop in East Ayrshire to local employers highlighting the many benefits of having a workforce that reflects society and that having a so-called disability does not detract from a person's ability in the workplace. It was obvious that many employers in the room had a view of the disability workforce that was contrary to the reality. I commend my colleague Jeremy Balfour for effectively changing the perception in that room for many. Fiona has spoken of her experiences saying that the public are terrified of disability in general. It is a label, she says, and it is very hard for the public to find the person behind the label. That is what we are happy to tackle today in this chamber, and I would suggest that that is why this debate is so important. We need to show potential employees and the general public at large that we are all different. We all have abilities and disabilities, some are visible and some are not. The ability to work in sport support one's self, which, again, John High, speaks to confidence and resilience and self-belief in every walk of life. It is incumbent on us in this place to do all that we can to ensure that inclusion means exactly that and that any barriers, real or perceived, are removed. I know that Fiona would like to follow her voluntary work as a swim coach with a position that affords her a paid coaching position now that she has qualified. She has an obvious talent, which should be deployed to the best of her ability and to the benefit of society as a whole. Can I end where I started in that this discussion should always be about ability, not disability? For the around 750 babies a year born with Down syndrome, we look to them, just as we look to every other person, an equal opportunity to explore their talents and passions, to do the very best of their abilities, and to make the contribution to society that they surely can. I call David Stewart to be followed by Alex Cole-Hamilton. I also congratulate Johann Lamont for bringing this important debate to the chamber and for her excellent speech. Sadly, as I'm sure many here are aware, historically, the treatment of those with Downs in their families makes for upsetting reading. Due to the lack of knowledge and understanding about the disorder, the medical recommendations to parents throughout the 1960s and even the 1970s was for children born with Down syndrome to be institutionalised. Today, care in the communities is now encouraged for most conditions wherever possible, yet for Downs, the transformation in public attitudes is thanks to the brave and determined parents who have championed the rights of their children over the past decade and continue to do so today. Organisations such as Down syndrome Scotland also do fantastic work in changing the perceptions of what life with Downs is like, a life that can be truly fulfilling. Yes, with challenges, but what life isn't. Throughout this week, there have been numerous stories of families and inspiring individuals who live and thrive with Down syndrome. Journalist Jamie McAllum, writing the Sunday Herald notes that, despite what he first expected when his daughter Rosie was born, his family is more similar to other families than is different. This week, of awareness about the condition is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate individuals who have Downs and also appreciate how far out of society we have come. That is not to say that there isn't much more work that could be done. Although there is much more information available to parents in the 1960s, we must ensure that it is adequately communicated. Down syndrome can come with various disabilities, an increased likelihood of health problems, including heart conditions, visual impairments and thyroid problems. Equipping and informing parents of these possibilities and how to handle them is essential to ensuring that every Downs child has the best possible start in life. It is crucial that our health professionals are able to advise parents and point out where care is available. That is especially true in rural areas in my own region in Highlands and Islands, where specialist care often has limited access. Organisations such as Down syndrome Scotland provide vital networks for families and young people to connect and support each other. Previous speakers have referred to the world Down syndrome Congress taking place in Glasgow in July. That is a fantastic example and I encourage to hear of the opportunities for Scottish young people to participate as commissioners and hosts. Yet many support organisations have grown from the grassroots out of necessity. Parents are showing their experience with each other to fill the gap. Gaps that will only widen where local services and support suffer under austerity. The dramatic drop in ASN teachers in our schools has a fall of 15.9 per cent in the past five years, despite rising needs as a prime example and one that we cannot just shrug off. A lack of sport and education will impact children with Downs now and also in later life. Early intervention is important, but often the focus is solely on the care and support that is given to families. As with all the population, with improvements in healthcare and treatment, the life expectancy for those with Downs is increasing. It is right that those who are living into their 60s and 70s are naturally seeking more out of their lives. They therefore ask serious questions about how we can support individuals with a condition in adult life. Despite changing public attitudes, individuals with Downs will face a real employment gap, as Johann Lamont stated in her speech. Many find it difficult to find work that is long-term insecure. Is this face of evidence that individuals with Downs must make valuable team members? We need employers to take responsibility for encouraging the potential of those with learning disabilities and offering them real opportunities. After all, in conclusion, as American educator and businessman Stephen Covel said, strength lies in differences, not in similarities. Alex Cole-Hamilton, followed by Kate Forbes Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to start by echoing chambers, thanks to Johann Lamont for this important debate. I am very grateful for the opportunity. I love the fact that the gimmick for Down Syndrome Awareness Week is to wear on socks. It turns out that I have been marking Down Syndrome Awareness Week every single day of the year. However, we have to recognise the importance of events like this and helping, as the wider narrative around this week goes, to help society to see past Down Syndrome. I will come on to this year's theme of employment. I want to stay for a moment on that idea of getting society to see past Down Syndrome. In each case, of every one of my friends or co-workers or people that I am acquainted with who have Down Syndrome, I have always seen such industry, such creativity, compassion, a capacity for romance and great humour so that we should all, in weeks like this, remember that those people who live among us, our neighbours, our friends with Downs, just represent a different kind of normal. Society is rigged differently and it does not recognise that different kind of normal. I think that is why we are here today to challenge that. From conception, the odds can be stacked against people with Down Syndrome. I will stray into a slightly sensitive area here. I do not want for a minute to challenge a parent's decision not to proceed with a pregnancy when Downs is detected. That should always be their right, but that should not be the default assumption of medical staff who are offering advice at that time. We need to equip our medical staff with an understanding and a way of speaking to parents at that difficult time of decision-making to Scotch the idea that Downs is somehow a life sentence. I am very much grateful to my constituent, Lynn Murray, who has done a lot of research and work to work with medical profession to manage that conversation. It is about challenging stigma at every single form of life for someone with Downs and assumptions that we all, at some point through popular culture, have paid into. It is right that this year's theme should be inclusion in employment because, in terms of independent living, which is, I think, the aspiration of every family with somebody affected by Down's syndrome, employment is the absolute central pillar to their ability to live independently. With employment, you can have a social network, feelings of self-worth, feelings of fulfilment and financial independence. There are very few other tenants of society that we all aspire to, but that is absolutely one of them. As an MSP for a constituency in our nation's capital, I am very proud of the many businesses and social enterprises that have gone out of their way to recruit not just people with Down's syndrome but other learning difficulties. Just up the hill, for many years, I worked alongside people in the engine shed, which was a great social enterprise, particularly with people with Down's syndrome. We know that, with any learning difficulties in our society, we have a parlous postcode lottery attached to support that sometimes we do not get the support that families need to help their children who have Down's through the transitions that we have heard about today and into employment, which is, obviously, this year's theme. I want to thank Johann for today's debate. It is absolutely vital. We do not just mark Down's syndrome once a year through the Down's syndrome awareness week, but keep it in our minds in everything that we do in our chamber. As I said, at the top of my remarks, living with Down's, having Down's, is just a different kind of normal. I call Kate Forbes, followed by Alexander Stewart. By the video earlier this week of 50 parents doing carpool karaoke with their precious children, they were full of life and fun singing along by lip-syncing or using mac atone. That was a little glimpse into families with Down's syndrome, to the enthusiasm, the laughter and also the tears and frustrations. That is why world Down's syndrome day is so important, because it teaches the rest of us a little bit more about Down's syndrome and all that comes with it. Direct experience makes all the difference in the world. As Jamie McAllum wrote at the weekend, he was an individual who helped to create that video and whose daughter Rosie was born with Down's syndrome five years ago. He wrote that that experience transported me personally from spouting liberal platitudes on the periphery to centre stage first-hand experience of the major shifts against society's most vulnerable in recent years. That is the significance of Down's syndrome day, because it gives the parents a platform to talk about the reality. There have been huge changes over the past few decades. When my uncle was born with Down's syndrome in the 70s, my grandfather was told not to worry, because there were places that would take him and he did not need to put up with him. That was only 40 years ago, and we have gone from a life sentence to an institution to people with Down's syndrome now living very full lives. The hashtag for this video of the 50 mums in Carpool, karaoke, was that they would not change a thing. That is so true. My uncle celebrated his 50th birthday last year, just past his 51st. Forty years ago, the life expectancy was probably into the mid-20s. Now, people are expected to live to 60 and beyond. At the turn of the century in the 1900s, the life expectancy was nine years, so there has been huge progress made. The fun—whether it is at my uncle's 50th, which Alexander Stewart was also at—whether it is these events, whether it is birthday parties or just spending time with my uncle and his friends who also have Down's syndrome. It is incredible fun. They are unpretentious. They are happy. They could teach us so much about love and about care. Now, it is not always happy. Despite that, 97 per cent of families with an individual in their family with Down's syndrome say that they are far happier for having the condition in their lives. That is why—I say that very carefully—that it is heartbreaking that the figure for terminations is 94 per cent of babies with Down's syndrome. To quote GMA again, it means that 94 per cent of people are opting out of something that has a 97 per cent chance of making them happier. That is where there is so much more work to do in raising awareness of what life is really like with Down's syndrome. You do not suffer it. People have Down's syndrome. We need to improve counselling and guidance to parents who are facing this very difficult choice, and I do not underestimate the difficulty of that choice. Supporting parents, families and people with Down's syndrome through all the ups and downs, the highs and lows and the opportunities and challenges, we think that we are wise, normal and fine. However, we are shamed by people who are happier, more loving and arguably more normal than those of us who stress, work and strive about absolute trivia. My uncle is always ready with a smile and a handshake, often while the rest of us are cringing as he goes up to thank the staff at a restaurant or whatever for their service. We want the ground to swallow us up. He does not believe that there can be anything bad from anybody in this world, and I think that that is a far more normal state to be in than the normal that we claim. Alexander Stewart has the last open debate contribution. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am delighted to be able to participate today and congratulate John Lamont on securing this debate. As we have already heard, we all here recognise the importance of Down's syndrome awareness week, and that awareness should be encouraged beyond many of those promotional activities. I am always proud to highlight the contribution that is made by and the issues that affect people with Down's syndrome. It is what they can do, not what they cannot do, that we should be focusing on. They want employment, they want to go to college, they want to engage their own talents and unlocking their potential gives them the opportunity to develop their self-esteem, independence and their commitment, and we should do all that we can to support them in doing that. Over the past 20 years, it has been my privilege to have worked closely with a number of organisations that are actively involved with individuals with Down's syndrome. Those groups valued their route in civil liberty and rights for individuals and also benefited from people living with all types of learning difficulties and disabilities. Down's syndrome is one that I have had a special relationship with. That was through my association with ArcHousing, a non-profitable organisation that helps individuals who have learning difficulties. It has 400 properties across 13 local authorities and employ about 1,000 staff. It supports people to live good lives at home and also in the communities. It requires assistance and it gets the chance to make some choices. Many members with Down's syndrome want the opportunity to have chances to work and to be included and to support. We should do all that we can because they can make a massive contribution to the communities that they live and represent. ArcHousing provided them with care and support to ensure that they could unlock their potential. It was my privilege to see that potential unlocked in many individuals, including Kate Forbes's uncle. The second organisation that I have been involved with is the Stepping Stones Theatre Company, a highly acclaimed drama group that worked across Perth and Kinross. I had the privilege of being a chairman of that organisation and I still attend many of their events. Drama, dance and performing helps in so many ways. The company is full of many stars who light up the stage with its amazing performances. Down's syndrome is one of the most frequently recognised forms of learning disability. Approximately one in every thousand babies worldwide is born with Down's. We have heard that already. It is a disease that is seen—as others have talked about today—that has developed. Individuals live longer and contribute more. In the past, it could have been seen as a life-sentence to the family. Nowadays, it is seen as something much more. Down's is a life-changing situation and does not have a cure. However, there is a mirrage of ways to ensure that individual people who have Down's are afforded the correct level of support, and they individually need to develop their full potential. The events that are taking place later on in the year in Glasgow, when the Down's syndrome congress comes, are fantastic. Once again, that gives a platform and gives an opportunity for us to stand up and be recognised and support. In conclusion, it is to this end that I believe that everybody should have the opportunity to lead a happy, healthy and safe life, whatever their individual circumstances. I have truly been inspired by many individuals who I have had the opportunity to work with over the years who have Down's syndrome. I encourage everyone to take time to become a friend of a person with Down's syndrome, because it will truly be an enlightening situation for them and something that I have endured and enjoyed immensely. I now call Maureen Watt to respond to the debate for around seven minutes. I thank Johann Lamond for her member's motion on bringing Down's syndrome awareness week to our attention today. I also thank members from across the chamber for their speeches on what has been an important debate in raising awareness of Down's syndrome. I also thank Gillian Martin for her member's motion on congratulating the Francis family from Tareth on raising more than £1,000 for Down's syndrome Scotland by hosting a coffee morning in the town. We should say well down to the Francis family. I also thank Ruth Maguire for her motion on congratulations to five-year-old Chloe Lennon from Castle Park in Irvine on her outstanding achievement in being selected as the UK's ambassador for the US-based charity Nothing Down. Chloe and other ambassadors hoped that people worldwide would wear odd socks for world Down's syndrome awareness day as part of the lot of socks celebration and we all wish Chloe the very best for the future. This morning, I was at Ayrshire College in Kilmarnock, where, just last week, the college's very own Lauren Gemell was awarded the NUS Scotland Student of the Year award. Lauren is an stunning example of what can be achieved by someone with Down's. Today, we celebrate Down's syndrome awareness week by focusing on the theme, as others have said, inclusion in employment. We recognise the variety of events that are under way this week and congratulate all involved. I would like to offer my personal thanks to Down's syndrome Scotland for hosting Down's syndrome awareness week and for all of their work in supporting families and people with Down's syndrome to reach their potential. They do so much, as David Stewart highlighted, in highlighting and signposting families and individuals to the support and opportunities that are available for those with Down's. As the minister responsible for the learning disability portfolio, I have been privileged to hear of the valuable contribution that people who have Down's syndrome make across Scotland. Contributions across civic Scotland in areas such as Brian Whittle alluded to in his speech, sport, culture, transport and education. It is in all areas of life that people who have Down's syndrome in Scotland want to contribute. Like Kate Forbes, I am personally aware of Down's syndrome from a very young age, as one of my mum's cousins was a woman with Down's who lived to the age of 60 and died within the last 10 years. Like Kate Forbes's uncle, she brought joy and laughter to our lives. Down's syndrome is the single biggest cause of learning disability. We have heard today of the significant improvements in the lives of people with learning disabilities. Moving beyond our shameful past of Victorian care to valuing the contributions that people who have Down's syndrome make, we have made vast strides in achieving change, however work still needs to be done. As the delivery period of Scotland's learning disability strategy, the keys to life, reaches its halfway stage, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realise transformational change as the first generation of young adults with learning disabilities come of age since the closure of the last long-stay hospitals in Scotland. How we respond to this opportunity will influence the fortunes of future generations. I could not agree more with Johann Lamont on the need to have better transitions between primary school and secondary school but into the work of employment. Despite the principles of good transitions 3, Down's syndrome and others have noted the lack of support. That is why the SCLD set up the employment task force following their employability report. It is true that, like everyone else, people with Down's syndrome have the same aspirations and skills and should have the same opportunities as everyone else. I believe that transformational change that we need to happen will only happen if a whole system, whole population and whole person approach is taken. That is why my officials are working with Ms Freeman's officials, who are responsible for the fairer Scotland disability delivery plan and a range of key partners, including Down's syndrome Scotland, to set out the Government's ambition for the next phase of the keys to life delivery. Achieving that ambition will require concerted effort from across a range of policy areas. Johann Lamont I acknowledge the conversations that she is having with Ms Freeman in her responsibilities. Can you outline what conversations she has had or the discussions that are on-going with the minister who is responsible for employment and fair work? It seems to me that there is a big issue here about challenging employers about their responsibilities and for us to ensure that our thinking on employment and fair work includes the rights and entitlements of people with disabilities. Maureen Watt Johann Lamont is absolutely right and we are having those conversations. I think that Johann Lamont herself mentioned the importance of reducing stigma among employers and others to give people those life chances that they need. If you take Lauren Gemell, who is studying marketing, our employer is going to see her skills in marketing rather than her downs. That is the challenge to employers, so Johann Lamont is absolutely right. Every person, as I said in Scotland, with a learning disability, including those who have Down's syndrome, has the right to lead a meaningful life. Despite improvements in the lives of people who have Down's syndrome, we know that many people experience that negative stigma that is still around. It is crucial to recognise that Down's syndrome is only part of a person. The people's first language that Johann Lamont talked about should always be used. A child with Down's syndrome is just that—a child first and foremost. During July this year, as Alexander Stewart and others have mentioned, Scotland will host the 13th world Down's syndrome congress in Glasgow. It is led by Down's syndrome Scotland and the congress will offer a unique environment to share experience and learning with families from all over the world. The event will enable families to feel part of a global community and connect with people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and communities who face similar challenges and concerns to their own. The most recent triennial congress was held in Chennai, India, during 2015, and a team from Down's syndrome Scotland travelled to Chennai to promote the congress in Glasgow and to take part in the official handover ceremony. During the ceremony, a film of the First Minister being interviewed by Andrew McIntyre, a man with Down's syndrome, was shown. Andrew is one of the three leading commissioners in a team of 12 commissioners, all of whom have Down's syndrome and all of whom are participating in a specific training programme funded by the Scottish Government in the lead-up to the congress. Earlier this week, the commissioners ran training sessions for over 200 participants from Glasgow's taxi and hospitality sectors, with a further 150 expected to participate in future sessions before the congress takes place. An estimated 1,250 delegates are expected to attend the congress. People who have Down's syndrome will be supported to be involved in all aspects of the delivery of the congress. Yesterday, on 21 March, we marked World Down's syndrome awareness day, a symbolic date reflecting the scientific advances in understanding the causes of Down's syndrome. During 2012, the Secretary General of the United Nations stated, on this day, let us reaffirm that persons with Down's syndrome are entitled to the full and effective enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Let us each do our part to enable children and persons with Down's syndrome to participate fully in the development and life of their societies on an equal basis with others. Let us build an inclusive society for all. Let us across this chamber echo those words today and reaffirm our commitment in this Parliament to work together to achieve transformational change in the lives of each and every person in Scotland who has Down's syndrome, committing to seeing every person as a person, as an individual with talent and a valuable contribution to make.