Down Syndrome Toddler Target: 2-Year-Old Izzy Bradley Featured In Target Ad, Company Praised


A toddler with Down syndrome was featured in a Target ad, and the company is being praised for their inclusion of children with special needs. According to KHON, Izzy Bradley, 2, is featured in a print ad for the company, and her mom said she did really well during the photoshoot.

“She did really well. She sat still while they did her hair and makeup. She pretty much cooperated the whole time,” said Heather Bradley. “I really appreciate Target putting [kids with Down syndrome] in their ads. I think it really normalizes Down syndrome and helps people see we are really like any other family.”

The toddler with Down syndrome featured in the Target ad likes to play, and she is seen playing with a toy (as seen in the photo above) just as any other child would. What people seem to really appreciate is the way Target includes these children without making a fuss or pointing out their “differences.”

According to the San Francisco Gate, people all over the world are talking about the ad. And while Izzy’s picture is getting tons of attention on the internet this holiday season, she’s not the first child with Down syndrome to be featured in a Target ad. In 2012, 11-year-old Ryan was featured in a Target ad. He too has Down syndrome.

“I’m really surprised by how much excitement has come from it. I’ve had people share it so many times. On Facebook, one site it’s got up to half-a-million likes. I really just hope that a new mom or an expectant mom were to see a little girl in an ad that they would just have that sense of hope for their child, and that they would know that really there is a great future for them,” Izzy’s mom Heather said.

Down syndrome doesn’t just affect toddlers, and Target isn’t the only company that recognizes these people as individuals — as regular people, not someone who is “different.” There has been a bit of debate surrounding the world’s acceptance of people who are different, and one topic of conversation has led people to believe that Disney should create a special needs princess. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, some people think that children with special needs would better relate to a princess (or prince) who looked and talked like them.

“When kids are growing up and seeing these characters, they’re not thinking of a classmate with Down syndrome. They’re seeing a beautiful princess. As Disney portrays people [with Down syndrome], they can teach future generations to be more compassionate and more accepting and unjudgmental of kids who are not like them,” said Keston Ott-dahl, mom to a child with Down syndrome.

Thoughts?

[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

Share this article: Down Syndrome Toddler Target: 2-Year-Old Izzy Bradley Featured In Target Ad, Company Praised
More from Inquisitr