VIDEO: Ottobock launches Paralympic Games initiative to raise awareness about disability barriers
As the world gathers in Paris for the Paralympic Games and athletes compete against each other across 23 disciplines, Ottobock is launching a symbolic new discipline with the support of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Its “Unofficial Discipline” initiative was set up to raise awareness about the involuntary challenges faced by people with disabilities every day. These challenges can include such things as broken lifts, missing ramps, stairs, cobblestones, narrow doors, as well as prejudices.
During the Paralympic Games in Paris, Ottobock and the creative agency PRESENCE are making the ‘Unofficial Discipline’ the talk of the town – with billboards, posters and video projections in public spaces across the city on the Seine.
Headlines such as ‘Can we break the record for breaking barriers?’ and ‘Inaccessibility won’t make it to the finish line’ are designed to attract maximum attention. The subline and QR code invite people to learn more about the mission to make everyday accessible. These campaign messages are strategically displayed around inaccessible places such as staircases, on Metro billboards as well as popular tourist attractions around the city.
In addition, more than 20 top Paralympic athletes and 50 brand ambassadors of Ottobock are bringing “The Unoffical Discipline” to life and into the digital world. Using the hashtag #UnofficialDiscipline, people from around the world are sharing their day-to-day challenges via Instagram and TikTok. They are encouraging their followers to share similar moments, thereby creating a social media movement.
Among them are stars including Ezra Frech, an American Paralympian who holds the world record in high jump, German para athlete Léon Schäfer, who has already won multiple world and European championship titles, as well as Samantha Kinghorn, the fastest ever female British wheelchair racer and gold medalist, to name just a few.
Samantha Kinghorn, who has won gold medals for Great Britain as a wheelchair racer and competed in the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games, says that her greatest challenge, she says, is travelling in a wheelchair – something which was brought into focus the past week after Baroness Grey-Thompson recalled her problem in getting off a London train. Samantha says: “Trains are always the most difficult thing. I can’t get on and off without help. I have to rely on someone to set up the ramp. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to rely on public transport in any country.”
Martin Böhm, Chief Experience Officer at Ottobock, commented: “Our goal is to make everyone aware of the barriers that people with disabilities face in their everyday lives,” adds Martin Böhm. “Paris is just the beginning. The campaign will soon be extended to other cities in Europe and the United States. We recognise that our mission to break down barriers is marathon, not a sprint.”
The new discipline isn’t official, but it’s real. It’s not about medals or records, it’s about real life. The competition takes place on the streets, in subways, offices and cafes around the world.
Martin adds: “The Unofficial Discipline is more than just a symbolic gesture. It is an appeal for change, a wake-up call for a more inclusive world so that people with disabilities can live their lives as they choose. We can only win in this discipline if we work together to put an end to it.”
More information and insights can be found on the campaign website and in the campaign film, which can be viewed below.
