Blueprint for Social Change: Shaping an Impact-Based Strategy - Case Study 2002 – 2020

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Integration of Impact Axes: Solutions and Awareness

Case Study: LINK20, an activist network of young people promoting inclusion of people with disabilities.

LINK20 is a global social movement centered around a network of young people, with and without disabilities, who promote equal rights for young people and others with disabilities. The movement is based on three action strategies: increasing public awareness of the right of people with disabilities to participate fully in society; reinforcing activism, leadership and the influence of young people with disabilities; and creating online platforms to further shared social goals. The movement's name, Link20, expresses its main objective: to connect people with disabilities, who constitute 20% of the general population, with the rest of the population, people without disabilities.

Identifying the need: Despite years of advocacy by the Foundation on behalf of the inclusion of people with disabilities, and an increase in inputs, resources and organizations active in this field, many people with disabilities are still excluded and lack representation in major areas of life, including higher education, employment, housing and social life. People with disabilities are, for the most part, perceived dichotomously as either inspiring or in need of assistance. As we understand it, this situation stems from several clear barriers: people with disabilities tend to have limited capital and social connections; they have little social involvement; they lack united leadership. After 15 years in this field, the Foundation decided to establish LINK20, the first social movement in which young people with and without disabilities work together to promote social justice and rights of people with disabilities. We believe in the spirit of change in the hearts of young people and in their ability to influence others while fostering leadership and activism in the digital age. LINK20 combines the Foundation’s two axes of impact: the axis of awareness and the axis of solutions.

Working methods Spheres of influence:

Cyberspace and social media are an effective sphere for changing awareness and forging connections between young people to enhance their social capital and promote shared goals; Young people are an engine for growth, social change and the creation of