2011 Global Down Syndrome Foundation Ambassador
Watch a video tribute to DeOndra
DeOndra Dixon receiving the award with Quincy Jones.
When DeOndra Dixon was born in 1984 there were not many services or early intervention available for children with Down syndrome. But with the loving guidance of her mother and father, George and Annette, her big brother, sister, and grandmother, DeOndra Dixon has created a well-balanced and meaningful life for herself beyond what many could have expected almost three decades ago.
Every morning she is up with her father, getting on the bus for the long trek to school where she also has a job in the school cafeteria. DeOndra is proud of her job and excited to receive her paycheck every two weeks. A good athlete, she has won Special Olympic medals in shot put, track and field, bowling and soccer.
In September, 2010, DeOndra made her first trip to Washington D.C. to advocate on behalf of people with Down syndrome, calling special attention to African Americans with Down syndrome. She met with policy makers, including Kareem Dale, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement & Special Assistant to the President for Disability. She was thrilled to present Congressman Patrick Kennedy with the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award.
DeOndra Dixon received the inaugural Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award for Self-Advocacy on October 10, 2009 in Denver, CO.
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