Bards Alley To Host Vienna Advocate For People With Disabilities

VIENNA, VA — Vienna resident David Egan is no stranger to advocating for people with disabilities like him. Not only was he the first person with an intellectual disability to become a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy Fellows, but he has given speeches around the world advocating for people with disabilities. His latest venture was publishing a memoir documenting his experience living with Down syndrome called "More Alike Than Different: My Life with Down Syndrome."

Egan will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the book's publication and his birthday with an event at Bards Alley on Friday, Sept. 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The book is the first memoir written by a person with Down syndrome and is co-authored by his mother, Kathleen Egan. Attendees are encouraged to preorder the book for the outdoor book signing event.

Egan has served in various roles while championing people with disabilities along the way. As a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy Fellow, he worked for the Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee on Capitol Hill and with the National Down Syndrome Society. He has also been involved with the National Institutes of Health Down Syndrome Consortium. He is currently a community relations coordinator at SourceAmerica in the Vienna area.

Here's a description of the book from Bards Alley:

In this inspiring memoir, David Egan tells his own story, giving us a window into a life spent pushing boundaries. With a family undaunted by his diagnosis of Down syndrome, Egan learned early to speak up for himself. He has since become a powerful advocate for all people with disabilities. His optimistic perspective rejected the limits of stereotypes and the expectations of others. He shares how the support of loving family and friends led him to overcome challenges and blaze new trails. It started with swimming and baseball, when he earned places on his neighborhood teams, competing fiercely and as a fully accepted teammate. He writes firsthand of the empowering feeling of being fully included in elementary school and at work as an adult. Egan has earned positions at prestigious companies and a distinguished fellowship on Capitol Hill. He sits on the boards of influential advocacy organizations. He has addressed audiences worldwide and has played a powerful global advocacy role with Special Olympics. He allowed himself to dream big, and he encourages everyone to do the same. His lesson to all of us is to focus on our shared humanity despite our differences--and our diagnoses. This hopeful memoir will encourage everyone to make the most of their lives.

For more information about Egan, check out his interview with CBS news or his Q&A with Patch below. His website is www.davideganadvocacy.com.

Q&A: Vienna Resident's Memoir Empowers People With Disabilities