To commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on Monday (3 December) Channel 4 is embracing the power of purple to raise awareness about disabilities in the workplace.
The IDPD has been celebrated on December 3 since 1992, and this year's theme is 'empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.' As part of the awareness day, PurpleSpace, the networking hub for disabled employees, is encouraging a purple revolution and Channel 4 is getting involved.
To raise awareness of PurpleSpace's #PurpleLightUp campaign and to promote IDPD, Channel 4 will broadcast a range of special moments and initiatives that celebrate economic contributions made by disabled people, which is in line with the IDPD's theme of inclusivity.
The first film, which will be broadcast on Channel 4 today (November 30), is funded by eight major organisations.
The film features employees from BT,HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyd’s of London, Nationwide Building Society, Reed Smith, Scope and Virgin Media, who give an insight into the extra worries they have to cope with.
The aim of the film, titled 'I Don't Work Properly' is to encourage businesses to help disabled people find careers so they can thrive.
The film features The Last Leg's Adam Hills, who is himself disabled. Talking directly to the camera, he says: "we're here to encourage companies to help more disabled people achieve success in their organisation and to support disabled people in finding careers where they don't work, but to thrive."
The film, which will air throughout the weekend and International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd December, will direct employers to www.channel4.com/purple where they will be able to find out more about how to make their businesses disability confident.
Channel 4’s chief marketing and communications officer Dan Brooke, who is also the broadcaster’s board diversity champion, said: “In the UK there are seven million people of working age with health conditions or disabilities and an astonishing 50 per cent are unemployed.
"This represents a huge wealth of talent which is simply going to waste. And it’s not just the people themselves who are losing out, businesses are losing out as is Britain PLC.”
