August 19, Dublin; Samuel Beckett Bridge Illuminated Purple to Celebrate the launch of WeThe15, a new human rights movement to represent the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.
Dublin’s Samuel Beckett Bridge was one of over 115 iconic landmarks, spanning multiple countries and time-zones to light up the international colour of disability, purple, on 19 August. The global light up was one of several activities to celebrate the launch of WeThe15, which aspires to be the biggest ever human rights movement to represent the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities. Other landmarks illuminated included 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. London’s world famous Piccadilly Circus screens also turned purple for a period, playing out the WeThe15 campaign launch film.
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, inclusion, and accessibility. In addition to the purple light-up, a 90-second-long campaign film that is a proud, loud, and vibrant celebration of persons with disabilities was also launched. The film will air across multiple digital channels, as well as worldwide TV channels, from today with the aim of reaching at least half a billion people by the end of September.
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, UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), International Disability and Development Consortium, C-Talent, 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, 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
For further information about WeThe15 please visit www.WeThe15.org and follow @WeThe15 on Instagram and Twitter.
