Hasta La Motion!

UK dsability charity Scope is urging the public to ‘kiss the awkward goodbye’ with a series of tongue-in-cheek, disability-themed cards released for Valentine’s Day. The set of four illustrated cards is being given away with every purchase made at Scope’s Camden store, and made available online at scope.org.uk/awkward, scope.org.uk/cards and Facebook. The cards remind us that romance is part of life for people with disabilities relating to mobility (I love you and it’s not just the free parking, I’m Head Over Wheels With You), hearing (Sign Sweet Nothings To Me) and sight (Get your cane, you’ve pulled). The cards are a continuation of the End The Awkward campaign, launched with three Alex-Brooker themed commercials in 2014.

In addition to the card, Scope has released a frank film that shows disabled people dishing the dirt on dating, relationships, sex, and the stigma that comes with it. TV presenter Sophie Morgan and musician and actor Mat Fraser are just a few of those revealing their most awkward moments on camera.

Scope has launched the findings as part of a national campaign End The Awkward, to raise awareness of disability and end the awkwardness that many people feel around disabled people. Scope’s research shows that the majority (67%) of Brits feel awkward around disabled people, and as a result they panic or worse – avoid contact altogether. Just 1 in 20 Brits has ever dated a disabled person. A staggering eight out of ten people in Britain (76%) have never invited a disabled person to a social occasion. Half of the British public (48%) has never started a conversation with someone disabled. Less than one in five (16%) people have invited a disabled person round to their house.

Richard Hawkes, Scope’s CEO, says:

“Not enough people know a disabled person, or know enough about disability. This can mean people worry about saying or doing the wrong thing and feel awkward. We wanted to raise this issue in a light-hearted way. Scope’s End The Awkward campaign gets us all thinking about what we can do to include disabled people in our lives – whether it’s just as friends or something more…”

Credits

The Beyond Awkward campaign was developed at Grey London by creative director Vicki Maguire, copywriter Lex Down and art director Jamie Starbuck, account director Sophie Fredheim, account manager Fay Taylor, creatie producer Paul Millar, planners Matt Tanter and Mike Alhadeff, with illustrator Dave Anderson.