Eleonore Laloux, 34, is waging a campaign to become one of the first women in France with Down syndrome to win a local council seat in this month’s municipal elections.
“I’ve fought hard to live with Down syndrome. It doesn’t trouble me any longer. Now I am fighting for inclusion. Handicapped people have their place in society,” said Laloux.
As a young girl, Laloux’s parents refused to place her in a special needs school, instilling in their daughter a self-belief that would later help her overcome bullies and secure her a job as an administrator in a hospital.
Now she’s using her drive, tenacity and fresh perspective to hopefully land her a seat in her local council elections