The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) ‘Transforming Lives Makes Sense for Everyone’ campaign, showcases the long-term legacies the Paralympic Games have for persons with disabilities through education, employment, inclusive cities, Para sport and political leadership.
In alignment with the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, three short films were published on social media in 2018 to demonstrate how the London 2012 Paralympics contributed to one million persons with disabilities securing employment in Great Britain. The films told the stories of several people who either played key roles in driving inclusive employment or had secured employment following London 2012. The series highlighted the Games positive impact while underlining that much work still needs to be done. British Paralympians and other persons with disabilities shared their experiences in the films, including Paralympic champion Sophie Christiansen. She revealed her frustration at failing to secure employment pre-London 2012, despite holding a first-class graduate degree. With attitudes transformed, she secured a role as a Goldman Sachs analyst soon after the Games. The final film highlighted how an inclusive workforce can benefit every company and how organisations who are not employing persons with disabilities are missing out.
Part of this initiative’s success was the widespread media coverage. Channel 4, together with two presenters with impairments, appeared in the films to discuss how British TV now featured more presenters with disabilities and the impact this was having on driving social inclusion. By the end of January 2019, the three films had been viewed more than 28.5 million times, generating more than 1.4 million engagements, and reaching 67 million people globally.
