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This Australian fashion model is in high demand. She also has Down Syndrome

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This Australian fashion model is in high demand. She also has Down Syndrome

Article by Cathy Free | Washington Post | Feb. 11, 2019

Madeline Stuart exudes confidence when she struts down the catwalk, pausing at the perfect moment to slide her hand on her hip, look to the audience and pivot smoothly in high heels.

It's a move familiar to anyone who has seen a fashion show, but with Stuart, a professional model at age 22, there is one notable difference: She has Down syndrome.

And the Australian native is hoping to shatter stereotypes that models have to be one size fits all — leggy, willowy, and disability free.

Doctors told her mother and manager, Rosanne Stuart, that Madeline Stuart likely wouldn’t function beyond the level of a 7-year-old. But Rosanne Stuart said her daughter is more capable than that today, and Madeline Stuart is thoughtful and focused when asked about making a difference on the runway

“I’m happy to change the way society looks at people with disabilities,” Madeline Stuart said. “I want the world to be more accepting. That is my dream.”

Now in demand at fashion events worldwide, including New York Fashion Week, which is happening this week, the strawberry blonde from Brisbane has made an impact in her four years on the catwalk, said Sara Ziff, founder of the Model Alliance, a New-York-based policy and advocacy organization for workers in the fashion industry.

Read the full article here.

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