Real stories, real impact: Changing views on disability in India
The Disability Roundtable campaign addressed the marginalization and workforce underrepresentation of the Indian disability community. It aimed to dismantle misconceptions about people with disabilities, specifically:
Highlighting the false notion that disabled people are unemployable.
Challenging the view of disabled individuals as burdens or objects of charity.
Shifting the narrative from seeing disabled people solely as inspirational figures to recognizing them as well-rounded individuals.
Countering the misconception that disabled people are incapable of love, dating, relationships, marriage, or family.
Existing data on these topics:
According to the 2011 census, 36% of the 26 million disabled individuals in India are employed. However, a significant gender gap exists here with 47% male and only 23% female participation.
There is a widespread misconception that people with disabilities are unemployable. This stigma exists due to a lack of awareness about the abilities and strengths of disabled individuals.
Disabled individuals are often viewed through a lens of pity and charity rather than respect and opportunity.
Cultural narratives often paint disabled people as inspirational figures overcoming immense odds, but it’s crucial to see them as individuals with diverse aspirations and capabilities.
Many disabled individuals face infantilization, undermining their autonomy, and are often considered unfit for relationships, marriage, or parenting.
Our approach: Leading with lived experience, we featured seven self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities sharing their stories. The campaign was designed to challenge misconceptions, highlight the capabilities and strengths of these individuals, and promote inclusive employment practices within corporates.
Objective & goals:
To promote better support systems for disabled individuals.
To increase the representation of disabled people in the workforce.
To foster inclusive work cultures and policies.
To enable and empower self-advocacy among disabled individuals.
Challenges:
Raising awareness about a complex and often marginalized topic.
Countering deeply ingrained stigma and societal beliefs.
Engaging a diverse target audience.
Solutions devised:
To bring in corporate leaders, recruiters, parents, caregivers, and the general public unfamiliar with the experiences of disabled individuals in India we decided to highlight
the personal stories of the 7 self-advocates, focusing on their dreams, ambitions, career choices, and the societal barriers they face.
The topics that our research showed us as relevant in this space included careers, relationships, and social inclusion.
Campaign deliverables:
1 x short film
Ancillary assets:Â
4 x carousel posts
10 x reelsÂ
8 x storiesÂ
Campaign channels & specifics:
Social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook) and community forums.
To maximize reach and engagement across different audience segments.
Continuous release over a quarter to maintain consistent traction and engagement.
Timelines & Duration:
The campaign spanned 3 months, with regular updates and content releases to sustain engagement.
Impact:
Views: 750K+
Shares: 1,000+
Reach: 1.5million+
Engagement: Overwhelmingly positive comments, highlighting a deep understanding and empathy towards the topics.
Analysis: Positive reception for authentic portrayals and sensitivity in depicting a diverse range of lived experiences.
Conclusion & learnings:
The campaign successfully accomplished its objectives by promoting inclusivity and self-advocacy.
Authentic storytelling resonated deeply with the audience, leading to a significant shift in perceptions around disabled employability and the strengths of neurodivergent people.
Focus on lived experiences and engaging narratives helped rope in a diverse general audience.
Way forward:
Widening the scope of the campaign to include more self-advocates from different regions, backgrounds, nationalities, skills and marginalized identities.
Developing additional content focused on specific issues like education, healthcare, and legal rights.
Continuing partnerships with corporate leaders to implement inclusive policies and practices.
Exploring potential partnerships with other disability rights organizations.
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