WeThe15: A global human rights movement for the 1.2 billion persons with disabilities

Multiple leading international organisations have united to launch WeThe15, which aspires to be the biggest ever human rights movement to represent the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.

Launched ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, WeThe15 aims to end discrimination towards persons with disabilities and act as a global movement publicly campaigning for disability visibility, accessibility, and inclusion.

Spearheaded by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and International Disability Alliance (IDA), WeThe15 brings together the biggest coalition ever of international organisations from the worlds of sport, human rights, policy, business, arts, and entertainment. Together they will work with governments, businesses, and the public over the next decade to initiate change for the world’s largest marginalised group who make up 15% of the global population.

Harnessing sport’s unique ability to engage massive global audiences and create positive change, the IPC, Special Olympics, Invictus Games Foundation and the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (Deaflympics) have teamed up for the first time in history. The four organisations will use the profile of their international sport events and athlete communities to further raise awareness and understanding of the issues facing persons with disabilities around the globe.

Joining the sport organisations in this decade of action are International Disability Alliance, UN Human Rights, UNESCO, the UN SDG Action Campaign, the European Commission, The Valuable 500, Global Citizen, Global Disability Innovation Hub, the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), International Disability and Development Consortium, C-Talent, Global Goals Advisory, ATscale – the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, Zero Project, and the Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organisations (GAATO).

Aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, WeThe15 aims to change attitudes and create more opportunities by:

Putting persons with disabilities at the heart of the diversity and inclusion agenda
Implementing a range of activities targeting governments, businesses, and the public to drive social inclusion for persons with disabilities
Breaking down societal and systemic barriers that are preventing persons with disabilities from fulfilling their potential and being active members of society
Ensuring greater awareness, visibility, and representation of persons with disabilities
Promoting the role of assistive technology as a vehicle to driving social inclusion

IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “WeThe15 aspires to be the biggest ever human rights movement for persons with disabilities and aims to put disability right at the heart of the inclusion agenda, alongside ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation."

“By uniting several leading international organisations and the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities behind one common movement, we will make a tangible and well overdue difference for the planet’s largest marginalised group."

“Sport, and events such as the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, are hugely powerful vehicles to engage global audiences. By partnering with Special Olympics, Invictus Games, and Deaflympics, there will be at least one major international sport event for persons with disabilities to showcase WeThe15 each year between now and 2030. These sports events add great value to the campaign and underline the hugely positive impact sport can have on society. I strongly believe WeThe15 could be a real game-changer for persons with disabilities.”

Ana Lucia Arellano, Chairperson of the International Disability Alliance, said: “Over the past 20 years, a lot has been achieved regarding the inclusion of persons with disabilities. We successfully advocated for the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as to be included in the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development."

“Looking into the future, we recognise that there is still a lot to be done if we want to achieve the full inclusion of more than a billion persons we represent. We need new creative and innovative approaches, and we need much broader coalition to achieve that. WeThe15 has a unique opportunity and responsibility to achieve exactly that – to be a platform where more and new actors will come together making the ‘Nothing about us without us’ a real change for all persons with disabilities.”

Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “WeThe15 is bringing together a unique group of partners – disability-specific sports organisations, the disability rights movement, people from the private sector, researchers and the United Nations – to work together to change the narrative on disability, and to make human rights-based development a reality for persons with disabilities."

“We plan to build on the multiple Paralympic Games in Beijing, Paris, Milan and Los Angeles, particularly in the local communities, to make it clear that upholding and advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities is relevant, doable and necessary – for everyone’s benefit.”

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said: “More than one billion people live with a disability today, and yet the world is still far from truly recognizing and honouring this 15 percent of society. It is time to change our perception of people with disabilities, and make their voices heard everywhere. The sporting achievements of the Paralympic athletes are, in this way, formidable sources of inspiration and examples for all of us. UNESCO is proud to join the WeThe15 movement and its unique coalition to build a world that puts inclusion front and centre."

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, said: “One of the reasons why I was inspired to create the Invictus Games was to help destigmatise physical and invisible injuries and give the men and women who have experienced them a platform to show the world that they and we can accomplish anything, when we put our mind to it. Everybody at the Invictus Games Foundation is honoured to join the WeThe15 campaign and believe in its mission to inspire meaningful change in communities around the world.”

To mark the launch of WeThe15 several high-profile activities are planned

Campaign film: A 90-second-long film that is a proud and vibrant celebration of persons with disabilities has been produced. From today (19 August) it will air across multiple digital channels, as well as TV channels in 60 countries with the aim of reaching at least half a billion people by the end of September.
Iconic purple symbol: A new iconic purple symbol of inclusivity where the world’s 15% with disabilities are no longer marginalised has been created and launched. Purple has long been associated with the disability community, but this is the first time a vibrant symbol exists that can unite the community and call for actionable change.
Purple light-up: This evening to celebrate the launch of the campaign more than 125 iconic landmarks, spanning several countries and time-zones will light up purple. Landmarks that will be illuminated include New York’s Empire State Building, Tokyo Skytree and Rainbow Bridge, Geneva’s Jet d’Eau, Moscow’s Ostankino Tower, Rome’s Colosseum, the London Eye and the Niagara Falls spanning Canada and the USA.
Digital media: Several activities are also planned across digital media channels. This includes the campaign symbol appearing on Twitter when #WeThe15 is used within Tweets and a special content series on Facebook about sport for persons with disabilities. Instagram and Snapchat will be providing special purple filters for users.
Tokyo 2020: The campaign film will be played out during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony reaching an estimated global audience of 250 million people. Several other activities are planned during the Games. More than 20,000 temporary tattoos of the WeThe15 will also be distributed to athletes in the Paralympic Village to wear during competition.

WeThe15 Website

To find out more, visit the WeThe15 website by clicking here