Frost*collective unveils disability campaign for FACS to raise awareness of workforce barriers

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Screen Shot 2016-11-28 at 8.17.53 AM.jpgFrost*collective has launched its second video series campaign for Family & Community Services this month. This year’s Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign titled ‘I CAN, I AM’ is aimed at raising general awareness of the potential contribution of people with disability in the workforce, while shifting negative and uninformed perceptions of those with disabilities in employment.

The social focus of the ‘I CAN, I AM’ campaign intends to drive sharing of the video series and will run across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. It officially launched on 21 November at a special screening at the Dendy in Newtown.

The event was attended by each of the video subjects and opened by NSW Minister for Disability Services, John Ajaka. Journalist and radio announcer Jonathan Moran was MC for the night.

Frost*collective worked with the FACS team as well as co-director, Jim Medcraft, who in January this year sustained a spinal injury in the US after a near fatal hit and run accident. Medcraft was approached to work with director, Luke Eblen, to tell the stories of three remarkable individuals who have experienced positive and rewarding transitions to study and paid work, each overcoming challenging societal barriers. Each video is approximately 3 minutes in duration.

Iz Connell lives with schizoaffective disorder and is currently studying social work by distance education; Heidi Haydn is a paraplegia and is an education officer working at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia and Nathan Basha is an office assistant at Nova Radio (Nova Entertainment). Medcraft’s own story will also be told in a follow up video yet to be released.

Says Ant Donovan, group creative director, Frost*collective: “The daily courage of every person living with disability in a society that so easily slides into disrespect through its own discomfort of it, is pure inspiration. If we can help fight the prejudice and prompt change by loosening inflexible mindsets around both the public and employer perception of disability, then we can help to make a difference.”

The campaign video series promotes key messages to people living with disability about the benefits, confidence and empowerment that employment delivers to them personally. Importantly, the campaign also targets employers, school children and the wider community to change attitudes towards the employment of people with disability.

Says John Ajaka, NSW minister for Disability Services: “There are no limitations on what people with disability are capable of and what they can achieve. These four films demonstrate exactly that, but also what we – as employers, the community and members of the public – can achieve by having a different perspective. Frost*collective’s ‘I CAN, I AM’ four video campaign is the next powerful step to breaking down old frameworks and rebuilding livelihoods.”

The campaign runs for three weeks from 21 November -11 December, in conjunction with The International Day of People with Disability celebrated annually on 3 December. There will be a Red Carpet Film Screening on 1 December at Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney to celebrate International Day of People with Disability. Speakers will include Richard Wilkins, actor Alex Jones and Dylan Allcott, Paralympian.

Key facts:

·       Approximately 1.3 million people in NSW have a disability. This is one in five people.

·       Of the 1.3 million people in NSW with a disability, 650,000 are of working age.

·       Despite this, 130,000 people remain unemployed.

·       Employment delivers independence, happiness and self-worth for people with disability in a way that nothing else can.

Executive Creative Director: Vince Frost

Group Creative Director: Ant Donovan

Designer: Alex Baumann

Junior Designer: Kieran Mistry

Client Services Director: Emma Stone

Account Director: Max Delplanque

Senior Digital Producer: Kate West

Film Director: Luke Eblen

Film Co-Director: Jim Medcraft

Stills Photographer: Amath Magnan

Strategy Planner: Prav de Silva

Producer: Sophie Chugg/Rev de Silva