The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Craig Spence has challenged the advertising industry to do more to promote the world’s one in six persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the Cannes Lions Festival on Monday (17 June) in a Dentsu seminar titled “The Paralympics impact on our creativity and humanity”, Spence highlighted how the Paralympic Games drive social inclusion and encouraged other industries to do more.
“Today the Paralympics is a fantastic celebration of human diversity and the world’s number one sport event for driving social inclusion, contributing to 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” said Spence.
“We transform attitudes, the infrastructure of major cities and, most importantly, we empower and transform the lives of millions around the world.
“But should it only just be a sport event that changes attitudes towards disability, surely there are other ways to achieve this?
According to the World Bank, there are one billion persons with disabilities who represent the world’s most marginalised minority group, more likely to experience less education, poorer health outcomes and lower levels of employment.