The world turns purple for #WeThe15

Today, on August 19 at midnight, the WeThe15 campaign is launched. It aspires to be the biggest ever human rights movement to represent and transform the lives of the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.

The campaign was initiated by the International Paralympic Committee and is supported by the biggest coalition ever of over 20 international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission (EC) and the World Bank. They have one common goal: to initiate change for the world's largest marginalized group – people with disabilities.

The WeThe15 campaign is named after the well-known percentage of the global population - 15% - that lives with disabilities. It sets to work with governments, businesses and the public over the next decade to initiate change and put disability right at the heart of the diversity and inclusion agenda alongside ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

To mark the launch of the campaign, more than 80 iconic landmarks over the world, including the Colosseum, Niagara Falls and Tokyo Skytree, light up purple, the international color for disability, today on August 19.

Everyone can play a part in creating change. How? You may find and share ideas with the hashtag #WeThe15, also available in 16 other languages, on what can be done to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Nothing is too small to matter – what you do is going to make a difference. More about the campaign, the progress and the outcomes can be found on wethe15.org.