The film begins with a VO of comments of the kind often directed towards people with disabilities, which we hear as we see a man in a wheelchair moving away from the camera. These real-life comments were sourced verbatim (anonymously) from social media as examples of “inspiration porn”, where people with disabilities are treated as inspiring examples to others - something the disabled community rejects as a form of objectification.

We cut to a young girl with Down’s Syndrome, who dismisses the comments and the idea that people with disabilities are “special” or “superheroes”. A series of vignettes follows, with people with different disabilities and from different global backgrounds speaking directly to camera about the ways they’re wonderfully ordinary, not special - the film’s key message.

The message calls the viewer to recognise this, as the first step to dismantling the barriers that exclude people with disabilities from society.

This film aims to challenge attitudes that limit the inclusion of people with disabilities into society.

One of the biggest challenges faced by people with disabilities is the fact that they are seen as “special”, rather than as ordinary people who should receive the same treatment as everyone else. This (well-meaning) tendency to treat people with disabilities as “special”, or as “inspiring” examples of resilience and overcoming adversity - is something known in the community as “inspiration porn”.

Challenging this mindset is therefore key to changing attitudes and behaviour on the part of those without disabilities, in order to create greater inclusion for those with disabilities.

Speaking to athletes with disabilities, it was this wish to be seen as “wonderfully ordinary” that was the insight that inspired the film’s key message.

Our cast was formed of 35 people with a range of disabilities.

We focused on ensuring the range of disabilities reflected disability in an authentic way. Many types of disability are not often seen on camera, such as invisible disabilities.

We wanted to ensure that the portrayal of disability didn’t have a geographic bias, so we cast in 6 regions.

We worked closely with C-Talent, a creative consultancy dedicated to authentically representing people with disabilities on screen. C-Talent advised on the script, casting, and attended the shoot to ensure that the experience of the talent was one that made them feel empowered and seen.