‘Biggest ever’ disability rights campaign launched before Paralympics

TOKYO – A global campaign aimed at ending discrimination towards the world’s 1.2 billion people with disabilities kicked off Thursday spearheaded by Paralympic chiefs and backed by a broad group of international organisations.

The campaign, called WeThe15, aims to “be the biggest ever human rights movement”, representing the 15 percent of the world’s population estimated by the UN to have a disability.

Backed by corporate muscle and bringing together organisations from the worlds of sport, human rights, policy, and arts and entertainment, the launch comes less than a week before the Tokyo Paralympics open on August 24.

“We believe that it’s really going to be a game-changer,” International Paralympic Committee head Andrew Parsons told AFP.

“The fact…