Changing the way we see blindness
Every day, 575,000 Aussies with blindness face biases, like people thinking they can’t cook, travel, date or parent. These aren’t just annoying assumptions – they create barriers like unemployment or discrimination, all due to a lack of public education. So, we asked young Australians what they don’t understand, and helped Guide Dogs NSW set the record straight, showcasing the community’s humanity through honest, beautiful and funny films, photography and FAQs.
CHALLENGE
There are a lot of misconceptions about blindness and low vision, with biases and assumptions ranging from thinking people with blindness struggle to cook, travel or use technology, to a belief that they can’t date or parent. A lot of which is due to a lack of public education – people haven’t been exposed to conversations about or people with blindness, and so they just don’t ‘get it.’ But these beliefs aren’t just annoying or uninformed. They lead to real barriers. For example, 60% of people with blindness who are able and willing to work are unemployed.
SOLUTION
We asked young Aussies what exactly they don’t understand. Proprietary research conducted among 400 people aged 18-35 in NSW revealed a huge number of knowledge gaps getting in the way of inclusion for peers with blindness and low vision. Our integrated campaign set out to showcase the community’s true capabilities and humanity. For a Boundless World told their (interesting, successful and often funny) stories through film, photography and FAQs, ultimately humanising them, and representing blindness in an accurate and authentic way to build empathy. We also engaged a panel of people with lived experience as consultants and creatives to ensure they’re represented authentically, and that we’re addressing the right issues.
The Results
The campaign made young Australians see blindness differently:
- 2 Million Video Views
- 2.7 Million Total Reach
- 20,153 Website Visits
- 16% Lift in Brand Perception
Guide Dogs is consistently ranked as one of Australia’s most trusted charities, but faces a shortage of young supporters (a vital demographic who would one day become donors) and a lack of awareness of their purpose and efforts beyond training and providing actual seeing-eye dogs. Our work repositioned them in the minds of young, socially-minded people as disability and accessibility advocates, who offer a broad range of services beyond just dogs.