Earlier this month, 15-month-old Asher Nash—all charming smile and adorable side part—missed out on an opening casting call with clothing company Carter’s because he has Down syndrome, his mother says. On her family Facebook page, Meagan Nash shared how she had submitted his photos to a local modeling agency in Buford, Georgia, and when she inquired about the casting results, the agency said it never sent them in. Carter’s hadn’t requested a special needs baby, she claims the agency said.
The Kids With Down Syndrome Facebook page soon picked Meagan’s story, and it didn’t take long for sweet little Asher to go viral.
OshKosh, a subsidiary of Carter’s, has since reached out the Nashes. “We agree there is an opportunity for greater representation of children with special needs in advertising,” the company said in a statement.
Us Weekly reports the Nashes met with OshKosh on Tuesday and all seemed to go well. “We would like to let everyone know that they will know the outcome of the meeting very soon!” Meagan told Us Weekly.
“My goal was to spread awareness about the issue and my hopes were for OshKosh and many more brands to start including people with disabilities in their brand,” she said. “The world is always changing and so is our perception of people with Down syndrome and other disabilities.”