Changing Perceptions on Sight Loss in Style
I’m a disabled influencer and as one I’m driven to speak on matters that impact the disability community.
Today I wanted to talk about the reasons why brands (particularly those with a social media presence) need to work with disabled influencers.
Disabled influencers are a truly unique and interesting community with a lot to bring to the table.
So here are just a few reasons why any brand needs to work with disabled influencers…
To put it bluntly. If you do not work with disabled influencers and yet say you’re for diversity…you’re not being truly diverse.
This is because disabled people are considered the largest minority group and by not including them you are missing out on a huge chunk of your audience and a massive community.
It isn’t enough to label yourself as “diverse” and only showcase maybe one or two influencers who belong to a minority group. Sure it’s a great start, but it’s only a start.
Being fully diverse should feel like a mountain to climb and there’s still a long way to go to reach the top.
Diversity is about showing and celebrating different people across the board. It’s about showcasing people who belong to more than one minority group and exploring their unique intersectional experiences they have.
It’s about opening up conversations that your audience may have never previously been exposed to.
It’s about elevating minority groups with a platform to speak and grow.
Diversity means to celebrate all of our differences.
Disabled people are a massive part of that celebration and the party cannot start without them.
Disabled people make up 15% of the words population (equating to one billion people).
Statistically they are considered the largest minority group in the world and with age related disabilities this figure is sure to rise.
With that in mind its smart logic to represent and include disabled influencers in the conversation.
By not representing them in ad campaigns and social media content you are potentially loosing a great deal of traffic and engagement that you would otherwise have from working with a disabled influencer.
There are so many products that exist that make disabled people’s lives easier without needing any specific adaptations.
But most of the time disabled people don’t know they exist or if they are really worth the investment.
Disabled influencers have a great ability to install trust in their disabled audience, because they have lived experience.
When a disabled person sees them using a product whether it be a device, makeup item or a household item it helps them to truly get a feel for the product and how user friendly it is.
Let’s talk about the Purple Pound: the spending power of disabled people.
According to the charity Purple, the spending power of disabled people and their families is estimated to total at ยฃ274 billion every year in the UK alone.
But, estimates suggest that businesses loose ยฃ2 billion a month by ignoring disabled people and their needs.
This could include not working with disabled influencers.
Universal and inclsuive product design is becoming an increasingly popular topic. With more brands working to make their products inclusive for a broader market.
Makeup Revolution recently came out with a mascara that can be opened with a push to open cap which has been praised by influencers with limited dexterity.
Ultimately more and more brands are turning their attention towards making a product that can fit the needs of all or as many as possible.
Disabled influencers can help with that and they should play a key part in helping brands adapt and develop product designs to make them fit the needs of more people.
They have lived experience and can help brands find easy alterations that would make a product work that little bit easier for more people.
Often when I’ve worked with brands they have been shocked when I’ve suggested a simple change that could help people living with sight loss and print disabilities like myself.
We have lived experience and we are willing to use it.
Disabled influencers are a growing and diverse community that has a lot to offer.
When I first began blogging I was rarely invited to work with brands, my emails were ignored and ultimately I was seen as too “niche”.
However, things change and many brands opt to collaborate with influencers who know and exist within a niche.
Niches are becoming exceedingly popular and viable collaboration opportunities.
Disabled influencers are unique in that they represent a large community and whatever their niche is adds another layer of value.
If their niche is cooking they can showcase helpful kitchen products that make cooking with a disability easier. Or if they are a tech blogger they can showcase technology that makes the world accessible to them.
Disabled people are unique in that they add so much value and worth to a collaboration.
Their opinion matters, they work just as hard as other influencers and they deserve to be taken seriously.
It takes a lot of courage for disabled influencers to be themselves unreservedly on social media.
Not everyone has the courage or confidence to do it.
Which is why brands need to elevate disabled influencers by using their platforms to inspire others to feel confident in being themselves too.
Because if social media should be anything, it should be a place where we can show pride and appreciation for our unique selves.
I believe brands should work with disabled influencers because inclusivity and representation matters. Disabled people make up a huge part of the populaton and if youโre not working with disabled influencers youโre missing out on a massive demographic. Diversity really is key.
@fromsarahlex
Almost 14.1 million people in the UK are registered with a disability. The Purple Pound, the term given to the disabled economy, globally is worth 8 trillion dollars. But barriers to access and daily discrimination mean that people with disabilities who want to spend their money on goods and services often lack the opportunity to do so.
When brands and businesses engage with disabled influencers, not only are they opening the digital marketing sphere to further
Expand their customer base but disabled people finally see themselves being represented, and are likely to be very loyal customers, returning again and again.
@sassywyattoffical
I believe brands should work with disabled creators and influencers because your messages reach an even broader audience that is arguably more loyal especially when the products or services are accessible. Brands that have made my life more accessible in one way or another tend to stick with me for years.
@jamesrath
I think brands need to work with disabled influencers because theyโre representing 1/5 people (and thatโs just the UK). Our shopping experience is unique, on how things look, feel etc. so to see or know someone like ourselves using brands makes us more inclined to purchase too. On a wider level, representation is not just about that one campaign, itโs about embedding it into every projects. I know for a fact this would change attitudes toward disabled people too. Weโre already slowly seeing it from all the great work of online activists. Letโs keep expanding that!
@gem_turner
Disabled people have unique perspectives & can give you feedback you wouldnโt get from anyone else, feedback that could be useful to non-disabled consumers too (for example I am a wheelchair user so how clothes work sat down is a big thing for me, as it is for most people who wear clothes as we all spend much of our time seated).
Disabled creators also have to be more creative in how they make the same content as non-disabled creators so you are likely to get interesting & unique content from working with them.
@wheelingalong24
Disabled creators provide real life, genuine representation and insight for their disabled (and ally) audience in a way that only people with loved experience can.
@whentaniatalks
There are so many positives reasons as to why brands should work with disabled influencers. But for me, personally itโs important to be represented in all aspects of media. When I was growing up I never saw anyone who looked like me. As a result I felt had to hide my disability, which made me depressed, and lonely for many years.
I now try to be the person my younger self needed. Most young people consume content online, and I would hate to think there are teens out there who are struggling with who they are. This is why itโs important to have a diverse range of influencers online, so no one has to feel alone.
@wheelsnoheels_
All in all I think we can all agree we need to start seeing more disabled influencers working with brands.
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Until next time!
With love x
