We spend a lot of time in this space talking about job opportunities for people with disabilities because of our mission to train and place individuals into the labor force. But one of the tried-and-true axioms of the free market system is that suppliers of goods and services need buyers for their wares. And while giving people with disabilities the financial means to purchase items is a necessary step, creating consumer awareness through marketing and advertising is just as critical.
So it was a victory of sorts to see Ryan Langston, a boy with disabilities, as part of a national circular ad put out by Target stores on New Year’s Day, because there was no reference to him being part of the ad for any other reason than his adorably wondrous facial expression and Justin Bieber-esque hairstyle. You can see a reproduction of the circular ad in Michelle Diament’s story on Disability Scoop, which lived up to its name by being the first to get the scoop from the parents of the six-year-old boy turned supermodel. Jim and Amanda Langston characterized it as an exercise in inclusion, telling Diament:
Modeling… has been a blessing for Ryan, offering a level playing field where he can compete against the best of them and thrive. ‘Ryan is very professional,’ says his mom, Amanda Langston. ‘When he gets there and sees that he’s going to put on an outfit, he’s very into it. We love it for him because we started to see how he responded to it. He’s so proud of himself and it is a huge confidence booster.’
Young Ryan had appeared in a Nordstrom catalog ad prior to the Target circular; but the attention paid to this ad in the blogosphere is sure to warm up the Langston’s home phone with calls from casting agents. It all began with a post on the Noah’s Dad blog, one man’s heartwarming account of raising a child with Down Syndrome that has a large audience.
Noah’s dad is also known as Rick, and at the end of his “Target is Down with Down Syndrome: 5 Things Target Said by Saying Nothing at All” post, Rick shared a thank you note he sent to Target and asked followers to help spread the word. Not only did they oblige but they also began sharing other instances where people with disabilities have been included in mainstream advertisements like Ryan.
In England, little Taya Kennedy is creating an equivalent stir as an adorable child model. At just 14 months old, she was one of 50 children out of more than 2,000 candidates selected by Urban Angels, one of the United Kingdom’s most lustrous modeling agencies. Owner Alysia Lewis told the U.K.’s Daily Mail reporter Frances Hardy that the only factor they considered was how photogenic Taya was:
We chose her because of her vibrancy and sense of fun. Not all children are comfortable in front of a lens and with a photographer looking at them — especially when they are so young. But Taya was so relaxed and happy. She was just what we were looking for.
Back to Ryan Langston, a Target spokeswoman that Diament spoke with for her article has wisely stated that featuring people with disabilities in advertising is nothing more than part of the company’s long-time practice. But it’s one that is sure to pay long-term dividends if there’s any truth to the marketing philosophy that consumers gravitate toward familiarity, as Jim Langston said of his son’s reaction:
He’s so proud of it. When we got the Target circular this week and I showed him on page 9, he blushed and said ‘that’s me.’
Have you seen any mainstream ads using people with disabilities as models? Please share in the comments section.
Image by Stewart Butterfield, used under its Creative Commons license.