Keep Left Creates ‘For a Boundless World’ for Guide Dogs NSW

National PR and creative agency Keep Left has created an integrated campaign for Guide Dogs NSW with the long-term goal of making the world more accessible for people with blindness or low vision.

‘For a Boundless World’ is the first integrated campaign for Guide Dogs NSW in four years. It comes off the back of Guide Dogs NSW refreshing its brand strategy and introducing a new brand platform.

More than a million Australians are expected to live with blindness or low vision by 2030 and while more than 60 per cent of people with low vision or blindness are over 65, one in ten are under 18, and three in 10 are aged 19 to 64.

Despite this, less than one in three young Australians say they have contact or connection with people with blindness or low vision. In fact, a survey by Guide Dogs NSW found one in four Australians aged 18 to 34 had never even heard the term “low vision”.

Guide Dogs CMO Michael Apte said, “As a starting point, we wanted to increase awareness among young Australians about the realities of living with blindness and low vision. Our long-term goal is to help people live more boundless lives by removing or minimising the barriers in their immediate worlds.”

Keep Left has created an integrated campaign highlighting that while the world is not currently designed for people with low vision or blindness, it could be. The first phase of the campaign educates Australians about the realities of living with blindness or low vision, debunking myths about how Guide Dogs clients socialise, date, work, travel, and parent.

Keep Left ECD Blair Kimber said, “‘For a Boundless World’ will start a conversation about the first and biggest barrier that exists for people with blindness and low vision – bias.

“Our team worked hand in glove with Guide Dogs’ clients to understand how the world feels from their perspective. We were surprised by the questions they are asked each day about their condition, how they cook, do their makeup, choose clothes, and parent their children. Even how they love."

“Sometimes this inquisitiveness leads to connection, but sometimes it stems from bias and a lack of understanding. This bias is one of the many unnecessary barriers people with blindness and low vision face every day.”

Phase one of the campaign features Guide Dogs clients and was produced with best practice accessibility guidelines in place.

The campaign will roll out across out-of-home, social and search executions as well as earned media, driving traffic to an educational campaign page that sets the record straight about blindless and low vision.

Ongoing, ‘For a Boundless World’ will see Guide Dogs NSW partner with like-minded brands to deliver a series of Boundless Projects. These Boundless Projects will remove some of the other barriers that prevent people with blindness and low vision from accessing the things they need and desire – with a focus on mainstream media, consumer product design, and the built environment, specifically street and city design.

Guide Dogs NSW is already taking a leadership approach in this area with its flagship Sydney headquarters recently recognised in the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies awards for disability-inclusive workplace design.

Michael added, “We’re living in an era where the importance of disability inclusivity and accessibility has finally come into focus. We've heard the barriers that people with low vision and blindness would like to see removed from the community and we’re partnering with the right organisations to co-create the solution. We’re committed to creating meaningful change by tackling everyday accessibility issues in our community.”