Nothing without us awards
Raising the bar for authentic disability representation in advertising
Nothing Without Us Manifesto
Disability is everywhere. Except in advertising.
Let’s be honest: the advertising industry is still getting it wrong.
Despite 16% of the global population being disabled, only 1% of ads feature disabled people. And when disability does appear in brand storytelling, it’s too often reduced to pity, perfection, or purpose-driven tropes.
As a result, disabled people remain overlooked in front of the camera and excluded behind the scenes.
This isn’t just a representation gap. It’s a massive missed opportunity — one that reinforces exclusion, wastes creative potential, and leaves billions on the table.
That’s why the Nothing Without Us Awards were created: to raise the bar. Developed by Valuable 500 and curated by a jury of disability experts, creatives, and inclusion leaders, these awards will recognise the work that leads the way — authentic, inclusive storytelling done right.
We'll also be sharing powerful examples of work that gets representation right.
The first Nothing Without Us Awards ceremony will take place in December in Tokyo, at SYNC25 — the world's first accountability summit on disability inclusion.
Unveiled at Cannes Lions 2025, the awards celebrate authentic disability representation and inspire the industry to aim higher
Meet the judges who are rewriting the rules of representation, with no tokenism, no stereotypes and no compromise.
Entries now open Celebrate work and the people who drive it
The Nothing Without Us Awards recognise two things: the strongest campaigns that make authentic disability representation standard, and the Change Makers inside organisations who push that standard forward.
Entries are free. Download the form, complete the short submission, and include accessible assets.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our team.
Deadline: 31 October 2025.
Questions and submissions: art@thevaluable500.com
Enter one or both categories:
Category 1. Campaigns
Category 2. Change Makers
Great work starts with intention — and systemic change
ART – The Authentic Representation Tool – is built to help brands and agencies embed authentic disability representation across every stage of creative and production.
Developed by Valuable 500 with leading disability experts, creatives, and industry practitioners, ART isn’t just a checklist. It’s a structured, practical tool designed to shift how organisations approach disability representation — across leadership, partnerships, culture, content, and execution.
Assess where you stand today across representation, accessibility, and inclusive storytelling. Uncover systemic gaps — not just in what you create, but how you create it.
Get tailored, prioritised actions to help you build capabilities, partnerships, and processes that drive sustained change.
Explore the Principles of Authentic Representation
What does great work actually look like?
The 10 Principles for Authentic Disability Representation were developed with disabled creatives, advocates, and industry experts.
They’re the foundation of these awards and a clear, actionable framework for doing better.
Join us and reject the status quo
The industry can and must do better. Let's hold each other to account.
We're looking for allies, collaborators and bold partners who are ready to redefine industry standards, not just meet them. If your agency, brand, or production company is ready to champion authentic disability representation, we want to hear from you.