Photographer Katie Driscoll's daughter has Down syndrome. And when Driscoll became frustrated with the lack of representation of people with disabilities in the media, she took matters into her own hands by casting her own fashion campaign.
What started as an ad posted to Driscoll's own website and a call to action from brands has turned into reality. Back in 2014, The Gap was praised for including a model with cerebral palsy and now, California-based shoe brand Livie & Luca is following suit.
The adorable#Imgoingbacktoschooltoo ads debuted as part of a collaboration with Changing The Face Of Beauty, a non-profit co-founded by Driscoll that fights for inclusiveness of people with disabilities in media and advertising. The brand chose 4-year-old Cora Slocum, who has Down syndrome, as its campaign star.
"The ultimate goal of the #Imgoingbacktoschooltoo campaign is to eliminate the need for this type of campaign, by consistently including children that represent the diversity of our community in our advertising. All people deserve to see a reflection of themselves in every day media," Allison Charvat, Marketing and Communications Manager told The Huffington Post in an e-mail.
Certainly, the move by brands to diversify in all ways helps shift the conversation to be more inclusive. "It fosters a whole new direction on advertising messages, and you know, the inclusion of people with differences," Driscoll told ABC 7 News on the effect she hopes the "Changing The Face Of Beauty" movement will continue to have on the fashion industry.
Here's hoping for many more inclusive ads to come.
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