Creature Discomforts is an extraordinary campaign to challenge and change attitudes towards disability. It’s being launched by the UK-based charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.
The charity teamed up with Aardman Animations (Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit, Creature Comforts) to create a highly original awareness campaign. The plasticine characters with disabilities in the ads feature real voices and experiences of disabled people.
The series of ads have appeared throughout the UK on billboards at bus stops, in newspapers, magazines and online. In January, the animations aired on ITV.
The TV ad you’re about to watch is called Sweet Shop...
In this commercial we see an animated tortoise standing outside a sweet shop.
The tortoise has a visible disability and needs crutches to help him get around. In the background we can see his two kid tortoises playing on the steps behind him.
The tortoise is talking about living with his disability.
The voice is a real disabled man’s voice (his name is Ian Wilding) recorded during an interview. He is represented by the animated character in the commercial.
Click video below to watch Sweet Shop!
Here are a few statistics: (*Note—although these polls were taken in the UK, North American standards are similarly appalling)
Nine out of ten disabled people in a UK-wide survey (89 per cent) feel there is prejudice or discrimination against disabled people in the UK.
More than a third of disabled people (41 per cent) said that they have experienced discrimination or prejudice in the workplace.
Disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as non-disabled people.
83% of physically disabled people have had to leave a shop, unable to make a purchase.
The Radio ad you’re about to hear is called Sandwich...
In this commercial we hear a lady telling us how the little things can make a huge difference to her life as a disabled woman.
She talks—with grace, and candor, and pure simplicity—about how she likes to eat her sandwiches.
Click triangular PLAY button below to hear Sandwich!
Further reading:
To see other ads in the Creature Discomforts series, visit www.creaturediscomforts.org.
To learn more about Leonard Cheshire Disability, visit www.lcdisability.org.
To take the Creature Discomforts Quick Quiz about disability, click here.
BONUS FOOTAGE: 2 behind-the-scenes videos on the making of Creature Discomforts!
