disabilities

Katie Harris has Down Syndrome and is defying all the odds. She is a 24-year-old woman from New South Wales, Australia, and recently made her catwalk debut! Katie's dream was to be able to break into the fashion industry, although knowing that its diversity among models has a long way to go. That's when The Disability Trust NSW jumps on board to make this possibility happen for aspiring models with disabilities. Katie is one of the nineteen models to walk the catwalk. She says that she wants to change people's perceptions of beauty. “I am beautiful from the inside and outside and I want to become a model so people can really see who I am,” she says in a Disability Trust Facebook post. Katie Harris is just one of the many aspiring models with Down Syndrome https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid2519104804997468&setbc.Abr5Q9pr0nK1P--4nnxC9RowgnVDkuV3bYtOSXQr3gZCz6vWDwJhKFAs2HE8zmsVfZn4Cf-Y87uduQ0k1w3_3XZqXMlTYQODGNH5BIyCPFusblG89ECpp8IgqFsyE9YNte_N-YqQ4so3ONCE10MpKpBjtWJZyUxus1pudmvRmVX7EQ&type1&opaqueCursorAbojcYLS6PYSKnBS-ld9GkC3unaOkixY69NFyzsjGb7lGSEexCTJDAdbZe8JW11zTFFZsuTeCT6HUsUPMgn_BHs8bQP7MFHvh-dkb7y9d8NsT9ePfM03zeJ8vVZDHp4V-IqLiZ7m2AhEbaz6gVQZsg9r4ic8pnaRAiTzmdVj9mCt6NQYdslp0O_OfQ9xp_vSfLo2cZAzhUPIcmm3YvJ7ShU6yo0UFpnozBiFkj7XFAlg442DPmvcvnvmIDrgfoSHXXC2ZyXYTiHr11ctYeCquC97osbtZ11u0OM7aB2unfLdkt8lmnquznmBVw_PyFfuUgbicpEmDfviKICC2DhNAEjV06M-R019B3hGkTK3Jug_TxTELaqwmeFUNquLvBAPxcGAaf5JwZTH7TGlKkSHyjCd2VllWQOgNS_x7NOT75U55htZs0pNGflEk1l6xvV5XeohbdvSJpDWcUdmmVfkvd-tvfKA-4pjqRRKiraJxmSVNsr9niefI7dRbJuyX446TJrhIN-QzxspkOlTaPBxS9TN&theater One of the models, Krysta Heath, also spoke about the experience. “As soon as she did her first solo walk the whole crowd got up and started cheering for her and calling out her name,” she says in reference to Katie. Krysta won the 2018 Miss Planet Australia and coached Katie on her catwalk debut. RELATED: Model With Down Syndrome Becomes The New Face Of Benefit Cosmetics The show ended up being a complete success, people adored Katie, and Katie herself says that she "owned it!" She isn't the only one who has reached many accomplishments https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid2519108971663718&setbc.Aboje9SBuo_3TgWX4XTHe_jhJ9q-677mOqUfXxgY9QTftN0c5zkj0iOK6itw1hQRpVdU1RzXlAamgH-RcLLAINWWGugvVK-gAWSae0iGD9fqv4YcF8A2z5coQUYGDB9ds9Tyq6XViWdLau4eRcy0PvA35iDMwtbJt9sZsEfCgFDNoA&type1&opaqueCursorAbrbLLTP9RbJwJvfsY0nQNPsmdQ7tr-xOWo8BuoajONdLqkpbQsosxQGyOuWoy-QbpHtVlRKG4ljhaz3qRX9_YbaIFkZ_pwp_SPZGS7hXc4MYZmTftAKWuZ1HZoOUWlE9hMxU5ixVdUkAMhA8iDL1ezaV5bYy4lFjXZ2svQy6_z4Q9ov5Qom_sQ80Ms147EEVWVbVPGnpPJz7Bm_xs0m6SGXZWSpfPyaaHmWPaXYxUfPWqH2McJf115IHJ4WvPB8lEtZULP6hSdU22eaXx73sGSgOE07N7BdNSCukY1BC7OE5Rv5t_eXiKC5XjCVjmpmWijaxblOR_7VjttuB0fgfBiCs74pxIDkH8VB6ffH2p8yiVQfEDUy3bCUD1b4hOoe_SIt5TCf4uQzw1G0JuybyRkpga50yltOoP3MCwIVSqqBITqUsejj5Rb0Y5cS9rxxpxwA8SkSXWiyKbIe3GLwNf_FXHD57bJC2VgXUf9xnWUg2mxoDcYvITY5PMN7LkFZJ64NKgQEVvNNB_Yo7H7vsyGVJBPw_2Os5eS9PVn-AOcUvkeyZfapnjktDghNGuXCjew&theater Katie is not the only person with Down Syndrome who is making a break into the modeling industry. Madeline Stuart is another beautiful and successful woman who has walked over 120 different catwalk shows globally. She is also starting her own fashion label. “What they have in their heart they show outwardly, which is something we could all learn,” Stuart's mom says about her daughter. “Madeline doesn’t look at age or weight or any of that; what she sees is someone’s heart and how someone treats her. Everyone feels comfortable around her because they can see she is pure and just wants to love them and be friends with them.” https://www.facebook.com/savingdowns/photos/a.266350963422303/1184520704938653/?type3 A huge congratulations to Katie on her first-ever catwalk! We can already tell she's going to have many more successes and accomplishments in the future. https://www.facebook.com/abcsoutheastnsw/videos/574949869976310/