The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) ‘Transforming Lives Makes Sense for Everyone’ campaign, which showcases the employment legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, has been shortlisted for a prestigious international award.

The digital campaign - produced in partnership with the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office and funded by BP and Bridgestone - has been shortlisted for a UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Award. More than 2,000 applications from 142 countries were received by the UN SDG Action Awards team and the IPC has been shortlisted alongside two other projects in the Includer category. As a finalist in one of the seven award categories, the IPC has also been put forward for the People’s Award alongside 20 other nominees.

The campaign

“The London 2012 Paralympic Games were a tremendous success leaving many tangible legacies. The Games transformed attitudes towards disability which, in turn, led to greater employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Great Britain. Although great progress has been made since 2012, we were eager that this campaign highlighted that much more can still be achieved."

Launched in December 2018, to coincide with the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the “Transforming Lives Makes Sense for Everyone” campaign features three short films which demonstrate how the London 2012 Paralympic Games contributed to one million more persons with disabilities securing employment in Great Britain.

The films tell the stories of several people who either played key roles in driving inclusive employment or have secured employment following London 2012.

By the end of January 2019, the three films had reached 67 million people on social media, been viewed more than 28.5 million times and generated more than 1.4 million engagements.

Craig Spence, the IPC’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, said: “To be shortlisted for such a prestigious international award is fantastic recognition for the Transforming Lives campaign and underlines how the Paralympic Games and the work of the IPC advances the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“The London 2012 Paralympic Games were a tremendous success leaving many tangible legacies. The Games transformed attitudes towards disability which, in turn, led to greater employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Great Britain. Although great progress has been made since 2012, we were eager that this campaign highlighted that much more can still be achieved.

“Producing this campaign which we aim to continue through to 2020 showcasing the legacies of other editions of the Paralympics was a real team effort. I would like to thank all those who starred in the films, and also the UN Human Rights Office, BP and Bridgestone for helping make the campaign possible.”

In the first three films, British Paralympians were amongst those who shared their employment experiences and challenges. This included Paralympic equestrian champion Sophie Christiansen who revealed her frustration at failing to secure employment pre-London 2012, despite holding a first-class master’s degree in mathematics. With attitudes transformed thanks to London 2012, she secured a role as a Goldman Sachs analyst soon after the Games.

The Awards

Every year, the UN SDG Action Campaign opens the SDG Action Awards to call for the top individuals, civil society organisations, subnational governments, foundations, networks, private sector leaders who are advancing the global movement for the Sustainable Development Goals in the most transformative, impactful and innovative way. Three finalists have been shortlisted in each of the seven categories - Mobilisers, Storytellers, Campaigners, Connectors, Visualisers, Includers and Creatives.

Finalists are now being reviewed by a judging panel of over 20 experts that will select the top initiative in each category.

The 21 finalists’ initiatives show how innovation, creativity and commitment can lead to impactful SDG actions around the world. These initiatives serve as an inspiration to the growing community of SDG change-makers and influencers taking action for the Goals. The winner of each category, along with the People’s Choice Award, will be announced at the SDG Action Awards Ceremony, on 2 May 2019 at 18:00 CET at the SDG Global Festival of Action in Bonn, Germany.