Asher Nash is a blue-eyed baby who loves posing in front of the camera, so his mom Meagan decided to send some of his photos to a talent agency.
But when she sent images of the 15-month-old boy, who has Down syndrome, to an Atlanta agency working for OshKosh B’gosh, she never heard back.
After weeks of no response, she reached out to the agency to find out what had happened.
When she did get a reply, she couldn’t believe what she was reading. They responded back by saying the company didn’t specify special needs.
Nash was devastated and hurt on her son’s behalf, but she was also inspired to make a stand for more diversity and inclusivity in advertising.
She started by posting Asher’s photos to Changing the Face of Beauty, a Facebook group that pushes for a more inclusive view of beauty all over the world.
The photos were also promoted by various Down syndrome organizations and activists, all of whom have been part of projects to show that people with Down syndrome are just as deserving of love, respect, and dignity as anyone else.
Because Nash didn’t take Asher’s rejection lying down, more and more people are becoming aware that just because a child might be special needs, doesn’t mean they should only be remembered on special occasions.
