Model with Down Syndrome to Make Speech at N.Y. Conference

The Japan News

7:00 JST, March 21, 2026

A Japanese model with Down syndrome will make a speech on Monday at a conference to mark World Down Syndrome Day at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Megu Sakai, 20, started studying how to walk a runway when she was a sixth-grade elementary school student in Hyogo Prefecture, learning from a teacher who had experience as a professional model. After graduating from a school for people with special needs, Sakai started her career as a model and became of a member of IRIS Angel, an idol group based on the concept of inclusivity.

Sakai will talk about themes including “You are not alone” at the conference, which will be held to share opinions and experience among people with Down syndrome, their families, supporters and experts in the field.

“I’m glad to speak as a representative from Japan. I’m looking forward to seeing people from all over the world,” Sakai told The Japan News through the Japan Down Syndrome Society.