No Decision Without Us

The Story

This World Down Syndrome Day campaign follows disabled people claiming their rightful place in decision-making spaces across every level of society. From a girl with Down syndrome asserting her right to choose what she wears, to a wheelchair user demanding representation in transport planning meetings, to disabled activists confronting politicians about their exclusion from lawmaking.

The progression was deliberate: personal choice escalating to institutional power. Because authentic disability narratives can't stop at positive representation — they must challenge the structures that keep disabled voices out of the rooms where decisions get made.

The campaign was created with extensive consultation from disabled experts including multiple accessibility consultants listed in the credits. The production included audio description and featured an original song bringing together people with various disabilities across different settings. Director Rich Lee worked with disabled consultants throughout the creative process.

How it gets representation right

• Agency over sympathy: Positioned disabled people as leaders and decision-makers, not beneficiaries needing help
• Escalating scope of influence: Connected personal autonomy to structural change, showing how exclusion operates at every level
• Disabled expertise throughout: Lived experience guided every creative decision, ensuring authentic voices shaped the narrative.

Why it matters

This campaign challenges the traditional charity model of disability representation. Rather than depicting disabled people as recipients of care or objects of inspiration, it demands they be recognised as equal participants in shaping the policies, spaces, and systems that affect their lives — proving that authentic inclusion requires structural change, not just better storytelling.