3 Anthem Awards for Google Accessibility Marketing Playbook

 “Nearly 15% of the world’s population experiences some form of disability – yet historically, the portrayal of people with disabilities in marketing has rendered them all but invisible”. Across the board, representation of people with disabilities within marketing is currently around 1%.1 

This insight has been a driving motivation behind our long-standing partnership with KR Liu, Head of Brand Accessibility at Google. And the issue isn’t limited to representation – a lack of accessibility, whether in-person or across digital platforms, remains a significant barrier for many with disabilities. Just 3% of the world’s top one million website homepages currently meet accessibility standards. 2

At The Upside, we share Google’s commitment to build for Belonging. Inclusion of underrepresented groups is a core component of building an inclusive and purposeful brand. It’s clear to see why this is a pressing topic amongst marketers – purposeful brands grow at twice the rate of their competition. 3

While there’s been an uptick in brands prioritising issues like race, gender and LGBTQ+ inclusion, selectively including groups can continue to ignore the most marginalised. Historically, disability has been left out of the DEI conversation. 

We’re determined to change this. In partnership with KR and a diverse group of experts, including advertising industry bodies and disability consultants, we launched Google’s All In: Accessible Marketing Playbook. This comprehensive resource provides marketers with informative and actionable guidance to create more inclusive and accessible work.

Over the years, Google has worked to improve its own representation and accessibility and the playbook aims to empower others to join this fight. We’re proud to contribute to this impact – by structuring and co-writing the playbook, plus helping define its launch strategy.

Following a successful launch at Cannes Lions 2022, we’re proud to share that the playbook won three Anthem Awards – an industry accolade created by Webby Awards that celebrates purpose & mission driven work. The playbook was also an honoree in the Public Service & Activism category of the Webby Awards itself.

A win for us, for Google and, most importantly, people with disabilities globally.

Sources:

1- Nielsen, 2021, 2- WebAIM, 2022, 3- Kantar, 2020