How Media Attention Towards the Paralympics Could Reinforce the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Positive Changes for the Disability Community
The Olympics and Paralympics are awe inspiring. They represent diversity, achievement, talent, and courage. Every two years, the world turns their eyes to television screens to watch athletes become role models and household names when they achieve feats once thought to be impossible.
For Tokyo 2021, the buildup to the summer games has been immense. After a year delay and a recent announcement that the games will have no spectators due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the attention of the world will be hyper-focused on the games to regain a sense of normalcy.
The extra attention may be the perfect global platform to advocate for continued inclusion and accessibility for the disability community.
The Paralympics are known to bring needed attention to the plight of people with disabilities around the world. Following the London Paralympic games in 2012, employment for people with disabilities increased due to the media attention and the exposure people had to individuals with disabilities doing astounding athletic feats.
Following each Paralympic games, a broader conversation of inclusion and accessibility typically reemerges. These conversations center around how businesses and society can better engage with the 1.3 billion people worldwide who have a disability.
For the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics in particular, the games represent a unique moment in the disability movement following increased inclusion and flexibility brought about by changing workplace policies initiated in response to COVID-19.
As the world clamors to return to normalcy of 2019, the Paralympics could serve as a global platform to remind people that COVID-19 has had some positive impacts. For the global disability community, the pandemic has served to remove barriers at a previously unbelievable rate.
For years, remote work was not an option in many employment fields. When COVID-19 forced every workplace to quickly adapt to remote working, many realized that the move aided in greater inclusivity. People with disabilities could apply to positions without worrying whether the building was accessible or if the morning commute was possible on public transportation options.
The platform that the Tokyo Paralympics has could share the triumphs of the pandemic that forced employers to remove traditional barrier to employment for the disability community. Imagine a commercial showcasing the difficulties that someone in a wheelchair had in arriving to work in the morning before and after her workplace transitioned to remote work. The stark difference could fuel conversations about disability rights around the world.
The Spending Power of the Disability Community
Besides showcasing testimonials of how the COVID-19 pandemic aided in inclusivity, the Tokyo Paralympics could also serve as an avenue for businesses to increase their customer base through targeted commercials showcasing people with disabilities buying their products.
Often overlooked in the world of business is the immense spending power that people with disabilities have. Recent outlooks estimate that people with disabilities have a combined spending power of 13 billion dollars annually.
The Paralympics, which are viewed by many people with disabilities around the world, represent a unique opportunity for companies to tap into that spending power. Brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Nike already have products targeted towards inclusive fashion; the next step would be to advertise that in the Paralympic space. For other companies who have yet to step into the space, the Paralympic platform would be a good start to begin to curate brand loyalty amongst the disability community by sharing commitments to accessibility and inclusivity.
The Paralympics represent a moment in time when the world collectively looks back and looks forward. As the world anticipates a return to normalcy, the Paralympic global platform could serve as the tool needed to remind workplaces and businesses that inclusivity is becoming increasingly important -- and that some changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic had widespread positive impacts .
Want to Read the Article this Blog Post was Based on? Check Out: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/24/paralympic-games-could-enable-a-more-inclusive-post-pandemic-recovery.html
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