Prime Minister, Tony Blair, yesterday launched A href=http://www.drc-gb.org/drc/Campaigns/CampaignsMenu.asp>Actions Speak Louder Than Words, the Disability Rights Commission’s (DRC’s) first major campaign.
The campaign, a joint initiative between the DRC and its partners is calling on leaders from business, sport, entertainment and the media to make practical, long-lasting commitments, which will enable disabled people to participate fully in society.
Organisations already backing the campaign include Microsoft, Lloyds TSB, the Halifax, transport company Arriva, and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Bert Massie, Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, said: “We are delighted that the Prime Minister is spearheading our call to all sections of society to make tangible, meaningful commitments that will improve disabled people’s quality of life.
“The Prime Minister’s support for this campaign is a clear lead to everybody that we all have a part to play in enabling disabled people to participate fully in society.”
The centerpiece of the campaign is a pioneering short film called “Talk”, which portrays a virtual world, where non-disabled people are a pitied minority and disabled people live full and active lives.
The lead actor in the film is Jonathan Kerrigan, star of ITV’s new Catherine Cookson adaptation “A Dinner of Herbs”, who used to play nurse Sam in BBC1’s “Casualty”.
In “Talk” Jonathan plays Robert, a young business executive, whose negative preconceptions of disability are dramatically shattered when, in a “Groundhog Day” style experience, he wakes up one morning to find he is the minority in a disability-friendly world.
The public can see highlights of the film via a real-time Internet link on the DRC’s website. The movie-clip requires the use of RealMedia’s RealPlayer 8
