“It is important to be seen”
Natalie Dedreux, who has the condition herself, campaigns for more inclusion of people with Down’s syndrome. We asked the woman from Cologne three questions.
Luca Rehse-Knauf ,
15.05.2024 
It is estimated that 50,000 people in Germany have the congenital disorder trisomy 21, also known as Down’s Syndrome. The German journalist and activist Natalie Dedreux, who has the condition herself, campaigns for the social participation of people with Down’s syndrome. A native of Cologne, she uses social media to reach tens of thousands of people. She appears on chat shows and also talked to Germany’s former chancellor, Angela Merkel. “She was really kind and friendly,” recalls Natalie Dedreux. We asked her three questions about her civic engagement.
Ms Dedreux, what do you demand from our society?
I demand more inclusion and participation. For example, more needs to be written in plain language - that’s very important. And it’s also important for different people to have their say and be seen. In addition, I would like people to talk to disabled people, not only about them.
What do you do to achieve your goals?
Obviously I go out and vote. It’s extremely important to take part in demonstrations. I also do PR on social media and draw attention to key issues.
You became known in 2017 when you had a discussion with the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel during an election campaign event. What has changed since then?
There is definitely more inclusion nowadays. More consideration is given to deaf people, and also to people with Down’s syndrome. But that’s not yet enough. I hope that people will learn more about and show an interest in Down’s syndrome. It is very important to me to be seen.
