From the New York Times:

Employment agencies in 30 states have launched a national ad campaign that uses a light-hearted approach to encourage businesses to employ workers with disabilities.

The ads try to challenge misconceptions about workers with disabilities by offering humorous examples of “differences” among people who are already employed. Among them: a young man doing a victory dance who is labeled “rhythm impaired.” The accompanying ad copy reads: “Just because someone moves a little differently doesn’t mean they can’t help move your business forward.”

A related website, thinkbeyondthelabel.com, offers information debunking myths about hiring people with disabilities. The ads are paid rather than pro bono, and the agencies say they plan to raise a $10 million budget for the year. “We knew it needed to be disruptive,” said an organizer, “but we wanted it to be tasteful.”

(Photo from the New York Times)

From the New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with Youtube video of the commercial ‘It’s Good To Give Milk-Bone’:

A new $10 million ad campaign for Milk-Bone dog treats underscores a popular tactic in consumer advertising, in which companies seek to do well by doing good.

Del Monte Foods, owner of the Milk-Bone brand, is using cause marketing in an effort to give consumers a warm fuzzy feeling when they support a company that supports a worthy charity. The company is giving “a portion of the proceeds” from sales of the dog snacks to Canine Assistants, a Georgia charity that trains and provides service dogs to people with disabilities.

The television commercial features Jake Jeter, above, a law student who uses a wheelchair. Other aspects of the ad campaign are featured in newspaper ads, as well as on the Milk-Bone web site and in social media like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and Youtube.

(Photo from Milk-Bone commercial)

From the New York Times:

Advertisers are increasingly making an effort to reach out to people with disabilities, even as the economic downturn is cutting into revenues. The idea: To connect with customers in a way that is seen as more altruistic and less mercenary.

Among recently announced charitable partnerships:

• Advertising agency BBDO Worldwide is working to support a Special Olympics campaign to end the derogatory use of forms of the word “retard.” The campaign, called “Spread the Word to End the Word,” kicks off today. Posters for the campaign link the word to familiar slurs about race, sexual orientation, and to offensive phrases about blacks, Jews, gays and women.
• Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us are helping raise money for Autism Speaks.
• American Airlines and the American Association of People With Disabilities have announced plans to honor television commercials that feature positive portrayals of people with disabilities.

From CNN:

President Obama’s remark about the Special Olympics draws public attention to the organization less than two weeks before it launches a new campaign aimed at stopping the use of the word “retard.”

The group’s “Spread the Word to End the Word” effort is scheduled for March 31.

“Most people don’t think of this word as hate speech, but that’s exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends,” a statement about the campaign reads. “This word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur.”

The campaign features ads that use slurs against Asians, gays, Jews and African-Americans to make the point that language can be hurtful to all groups, including people with intellectual disabilities.

(Special Olympics graphic from CNN)

From Adweek’s Adfreak blog:

Meet Bill Shannon, a freestyle dance artist who is featured in the European “Life Flows Better with Visa” campaign created by Saatchi & Saatchi London. Shannon was born with a degenerative hip condition, and has developed an mesmerizing way of dancing. The video is here.

Here’s what UC Berkeley’s “Artists with Disabilities Oral History Project” has to say about him:

Using customized rocker-bottom crutches and a skateboard, he has created a body of work, rooted in street dance, which he has performed throughout the United States and abroad to significant acclaim. Part social critic, part educator, part rebel, all artist, Bill Shannon continually challenges his audiences to question what they think they know.

Here’s a public service announcement by Will Schermerhorn of Blueberry Shoes Productions, LLC.

The video was produced for and with the Arc of Northern Virginia and the Arc of Virginia,

Its goal: To “counteract the negativity of ‘Tropic Thunder’.”

Its theme: Respect.

When You Can Call Me…

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Boycott, protests planned

Screenings of “Tropic Thunder” for disability rights advocates have been bumped back to next Monday, the same day the film is scheduled to premiere at a red carpet event in Westwood, California. Executives of DreamWorks and Paramount had promised to deliver the screenings by today.

Advocates said they had been told that studio security preparations were to blame, with executives saying they needed to take measures to protect against possible piracy of the $90 million summer blockbuster. “We are not convinced, and are concerned that this is a stalling tactic,” said Peter V. Berns, executive director of the Arc of the United States.

Berns said his organization was continuing to move forward with plans for a possible “massive action” to boycott and protest the film, which has drawn fire from advocacy groups for the prominent use of the word “retard” in the film and promotional materials.

In a meeting on Wednesday, studio executives told advocates that they had already revised some advertising materials to change or remove references to Simple Jack, a character with intellectual disabilities who is played by Ben Stiller in a portion of the film.

Executives pledged to remove references to Simple Jack in “making of” documentaries and from material used on broadcast media and in print. Berns said they also pledged not to create merchandise promoting the Simple Jack character. An elaborate studio marketing website devoted to the Simple Jack character was removed this week.

Meanwhile, Gail Williamson of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles sent out a memo today detailing demands that were brought by the disability rights coalition in its meeting with studio executives.  Both Berns and Williamson, DSALA’s executive director, were among meeting participants. Following is an excerpt of the memo:

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