Guiding success

From the starting blocks of the most successful Paralympics ever, Libby Clegg ran her way to global prominence in London 2012. Since then, the British runner has taken her visual impairment to golden heights in Rio 2016, and with guide running blossoming as a new favourite at the Paralympic Games, a new campaign lets you feel what its like.

Creative agency Don't Panic, in partnership with UK charity Guide Dogs, have released a 3D soundscape entitled, 'A Test of Blind Ambition,' in which the viewer is transported to the acoustic landscape familiar to those with visual impairments. The video traces Libby's life from birth, reliving the challenges and the triumphs she achieved. The video's black display ends with footage of Clegg's first-place finish at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Clegg, now a two-time Paralympic gold-medallist, says, "Having my guide dog Hattie gives me the confidence to train and compete, and live my life how I want. The film mimics some of the experiences I had as a child through to adulthood and I hope it gives those without sight loss an insight into mine and other blind or partially sighted people's lives and the obstacles we face, and an understanding of how Guide Dogs as a charity can help us to overcome them."

Nick Hodder, head of digital at Guide Dogs, adds, "This is the first time we’ve created a video that tries to put the viewer directly into the world of someone with sight loss. It’s a really engaging emotional and sensory experience where we’re asking the viewer to challenge themselves to see how they would feel facing the world as a blind child. We want to increase understanding of the challenges that people with sight loss face, but also tackle preconceptions about what they can achieve. It’s a fantastic story of determination and ambition.”  

Along with the hashtag #blindambition, the campaign celebrates the continuous involvement of charitable causes in developing success.