Me As Me: Celebrating Self Acceptance

The "Me As Me" campaign was developed to address the pervasive marginalization and underrepresentation of neurodivergent and disabled individuals in media, workplaces, and society at large.

The focus was on elevating voices from the South Asian context, particularly India, to showcase our lived experiences and challenging societal perceptions.

The topics of navigating puberty, self-identity, dating, and entrepreneurship were chosen due to their critical importance in the lives of young neurodivergent and disabled individuals, areas often fraught with unique challenges and societal stigma.

Relevant data & insights:

• Women with disabilities hold only 2.3% of decision-making positions globally​​

• Disabled women face a significantly higher risk of violence compared to non-disabled women.

• Autistic teenagers experience heightened sensory sensitivities and social interaction difficulties, increasing the risk of bullying​.

• ADHD teenagers struggle with impulse control and emotional regulation during puberty​.

• Individuals with autism find romantic relationships challenging due to difficulties with social cues and communication​​.

• Autistic women often engage in masking behaviors, leading to increased stress and mental health issues.

• Disabled entrepreneurs face barriers such as limited access to funding and societal stigma, which hinder business growth​.

Our approach: We aimed to provide an authentic platform for neurodivergent and disabled individuals to share their stories, emphasizing their strengths, challenges, and aspirations.

The campaign was structured to create a multi-format, cross-platform narrative that would engage a diverse audience and foster greater understanding and empathy.

Campaign objective & goals:

• To raise awareness about the challenges faced by neurodivergent and disabled individuals.

• Promote better support systems for disabled and neurodivergent entrepreneurs

• Increase representation of neurodivergent individuals in media and workplaces.

• Educate parents, teachers, and caregivers on the needs of neurodivergent youth during puberty.

  
  

Challenges:

• Ensuring authentic representation of diverse experiences.

• Addressing societal stigma and misconceptions.

• Reaching and engaging a wide, diverse audience.

  
  

Solutions devised:

• Target audience: young adults on the neurodiversity spectrum or identifying as neurodivergent, caregivers, educators, parents, caregivers, business leaders, investors, and the general public.

• Narrative: centered around lived experiences, the narrative was designed to be both educational and empathetic.

• Topicality: focused on timely and relevant issues such as identity, mental health, friendships, love, dating, and entrepreneurship, and released around Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

  
  

Deliverables:

• Short documentary films x 2: 'Unmasking Autism' and 'Entrepreneurs with Autism, ADHD & Down Syndrome'.

• Ancillary assets: 

  • 5+ x reels

  • 10+ x carousel posts

  • 15+ x stories

    
    

Platforms:

• YouTube: For broad reach and accessibility.

• LinkedIn: Targeting professionals and business leaders.

• Instagram & Facebook: Engaging a wider, younger audience through visual storytelling.

Length: The campaign ran for over 3 months, with continuous engagement and content updates to maintain traction and visibility.

Impact:

• Views: 500,000+ 

• Reach: 1 million+ across social platforms.

• Engagement: 1k+ shares, 500+ comments highlighting empathy and understanding.

• Reception: Overwhelmingly positive, praised for authentic portrayals and sensitivity.

  
  

Media & Ancillary Extensions:

• “Unmasking Autism” was screened at the Pride Filmtage Bremen Film Festival in Germany, 2023.

• The campaign was featured in a half-page article in the popular Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day.

  
  

Learnings:

• The campaign successfully met its objectives of raising awareness and fostering empathy among its intended audience.

• Challenges were effectively addressed through thoughtful storytelling and strategic dissemination of multi-format content.

• Continuous engagement and authentic representation were key to the campaign’s success.

Way forward:

• Expanding the campaign to include more stories and voices from the neurodivergent and disabled communities.

• Developing additional educational resources for parents, educators, and employers.

• Continuing to foster partnerships with organizations to support inclusive practices and policies.

• Exploring new platforms and media formats to reach an even broader audience.

• By creating a platform for neurodivergent and disabled individuals to share their stories, the 'Me As Me' campaign has taken a significant step towards inclusivity and representation. The continued efforts will aim to build on this foundation, driving further change and awareness.