Mom Is Outraged After Her Son With Down Syndrome Is Rejected From Casting Call
Looks like Asher Nash, the 15-month-old baby from Georgia who is revolutionizing disabilities in advertising - and stealing America's heart in the process - had a pretty important meeting today. He went on a go-see with OshKosh B'gosh.
But just last week, Asher was rejected by a local modeling agency representing the company simply because he has Down syndrome. His mom, Meagan Nash was told by the agency that the company seeking the model hadn't requested a baby with "special needs" - and that his photos were never sent for review. But OshKosh B'gosh also hadn't specified that they weren't looking for a special needs baby. "Anytime we had a camera or phone out he loved it," Nash told Good Morning America. "He met the size criteria, the eye color, the hair color, so I submitted."
After Nash posted a photo of Asher on the Changing the Face of Beauty Facebook page describing her son's dilemma, the Kids with Down Syndrome Facebook group picked up her post, where it has since been shared over 124,000 times. The post also has one of the sweetest, most supportive comments sections - that's 6,100 comments deep. Asher has been featured on several major news sites and has become the (cutest, most angelic) face for special needs representation in major marketing. And that is exactly what his mom has set out to do. "If we're not using children or adults with disabilities [in advertising], we're not showing them that we value them," Nash said on the family's Good Morning America special.
It seems like no one values Asher more than his big sister Addison, who is determined to make sure the public understands Down syndrome. "He's really happy, he's always happy," she told 11Alive. While presenting a video about Down syndrome to her class at school, Addison quickly shut down any negative affiliations with the disability. "A boy came up to me and he said, 'I'm sorry about your brother.' And I said 'Don't be sorry, because he's awesome.'"
OshKosh B'gosh thinks so, too. After setting up an appointment with Nash and her son for next week, the company released this statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "We agree there is an opportunity for greater representation of children with special needs in advertising. We look forward to meeting with Asher and his family, as well as taking steps to enhance the representation of diverse children in our marketing." It sounds like Asher and his mom are meeting their goals to spread awareness - and prove that all babies with Down syndrome and other disabilities are accepted and celebrated.
Nash, however, doesn't want the flurry of press surrounding her son to influence Osh Kosh B'gosh's decision - she wants them to choose Asher because "they value him and see how much he could contribute to their advertisement," she told The Mighty. She also maintains that she doesn't blame the company at all: "I had no intention whatsoever to put them under in a negative light," she told Inside Edition. "I just hope they eventually use kids with disabilities."
[h/t: Inside Edition]
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