The Paralympics, which we’ve just experienced, inevitably generates a discussion about representation of disability. Also inevitably, one of the elements of that discussion is why we only discuss this every 4 years. This piece falls foul of that charge, but let’s dive in anyway…

Channel 4: Super. Human.

Channel 4’s original Superhumans campaign, promoting its coverage of the 2012 Paralympics, revolutionised the portrayal of disabled people but also found it accused of ‘inspiration porn’. It seems to have taken this into account in its 2020 promo, which both underlines and undermines the Superhumans idea.

Paralympics 2024

Remarkably, from what is the official Paralympics 2024 account, this went a stage further, brilliantly satirising the ‘kumbaya’ approach to the Paralympics.

Nike: Winning Isn’t For Everyone

And Nike weren’t going to be left out…

Assume That I Can: World Down Syndrome Day 2024

Away from the Paralympics, this powerful monologue from actress and campaigner Madison Tevlin challenges what in other contexts has been called ‘the soft bigotry of low expectations’.

EDF: Everything Must be Accessible to Everyone

This old commercial by French energy firm, EDF, uses a simple idea to brilliant effect.

Hope is a marketing, creative and branding agency for charities and other social-purpose organisations. The Ideas Lab examines what makes effective (or ineffective) communications for these causes, charities and social-impact businesses.