Inspiring! Boy With Down’s Syndrome Becomes New Face of River Island’s Latest Campaign

An 11-year-old boy with Down’s syndrome has landed his first modelling job in a high street store’s new advertising campaign. Joseph Hale, from Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire in England, has become one of the faces of River Island’s new children’s clothing range.His mum Karen Hale said she hoped it would encourage equal representation of disabilities in the media. The young model said he was “excited” by the opportunity. “It’s really good. I had to pose, we had our hair and make-up done and I wore magic shiny shoes,” he said. Mrs Hale, 49, said the family was “very proud” of their son and that Joseph took to modelling “like a duck to water”. “He gets excited when he sees his photo. He’s shown it to his friends at school. Everyone’s been really supportive, it’s absolutely brilliant.”She says Joseph’s Down’s syndrome “does not define him at all” and he has an “infectious personality, he’s just one big ball of fun”. “We’re hoping campaigns like this one by River Island will pave the way for more inclusion and acceptance for people with disabilities in the wider world. Advertising can have a massive impact and people need to see that these individuals still have emotions, thoughts, feelings, dreams, aspirations the same as anyone else… and they need to be seen as equals at all times.”Photo Credit: Getty/River Island

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