VisualGPS Creative Trends Culture Embracing Disability in Sport

Olympic season has just ended and this year was an inspiring one: Athletes from all around Latin America made history by breaking records or earning their country’s first‑ever medals. This was especially true for the Paralympic games, which offered the chance for Latin American countries—who appeared in the top 25 countries with the most Paralympic athletes present—to show off their top talent, to much success, too.¹ Shining a light on this athletic success is important, particularly in Latin America where 74% of consumers believe representations of disability in sport creates a more diverse athletic landscape, according to VisualGPS research.

While Latin Americans are eager to see more folks with disabilities in sports, brands haven’t been quite able to meet the demand. People with disabilities appear in visuals of sports at half the rate that people overall do, creating a visual dissonance as it relates to athleticism. Even further, VisualGPS research reveals when sports visuals do highlight athletes with disabilities, they are 3.5x more likely to also revolve around support than sports visuals overall. Athletes deserve to relish in their success and be proud of the hard work it takes to perform at that level of athleticism.

When choosing sports visuals featuring athletes with disabilities, be sure to pay special attention to moments of success and achievement, like crossing the finish line or landing a shot (after all, only 6% of sport visuals featuring people with disabilities revolve around success). But you shouldn’t stop there. The preparation shouldn’t be ignored either: Showing people training and practicing allows for athleticism to shine. Ultimately, being intentional about these types of visuals will not only shine a light on an often ignored experience, but lend much needed variety to the athletic space.

Sources

[1] Latin America Reports