When Other People's Eyes on You Become an Additional Handicap in the Workplace

Oct. 23, 2024

To mark the 28th European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (18-24 November 2024), the association LADAPT and BETC Paris are joining forces to raise awareness among the general public and employers about equal opportunities in employment.

Although 2024 was marked by the Paralympic Games, disability remains the leading cause of discrimination in France and in the workplace, according to a report by the French Human Rights Ombudsman. This observation justifies the theme of this year's action: ‘Disability and career paths: How can we ensure genuine equal opportunities?’ While the way other people look at them should never be an obstacle to the professional development of people with disabilities, 61% of employees believe that it is difficult to integrate a disabled person into their company, according to a study by Agefiph released in 2023.

To illustrate this reality, BETC has teamed up with Renaud Lavency, a talented illustrator represented by Jungler, a multidisciplinary animation studio, to produce a film immersing us in the daily life of a young woman suffering from congenital transverse agenesis, in other words: born without a left forearm. Throughout her career, the film reveals the weight of people's opinions on her daily life. This bubbly, strong-willed heroine offers us a different perspective on disability in the professional world, until she emerges victorious from her journey.

Set to an original composition by Nicolas Mantoux and produced by Capitaine Plouf sound studio, we follow the young woman as she goes about her work, each day a little more encumbered by a surprising presence: eyes that bother her, spy on her, annoy her and judge her. They are omnipresent and end up blocking her professional progress when a promotion is on the horizon. This time it's too much: the young woman decides to fight back and emerges victorious and proud. The illustrations transport us into a world where realism gives way to a world of symbols, in which the eyes become so present that it's impossible to escape their gaze.

The gaze of others, symbolized by those heavy, insistent eyes, is the fight of the LADAPT association this year. But it is also becoming a battle for everyone, encouraging us to reflect on our own preconceived ideas on disability.

The campaign will be broadcast on TV from October 22nd. LADAPT has also drawn up portraits of two people close to the association, who have been reinterpreted as avatars by Renaud. These visuals will be displayed in the press and on DOOH throughout France.