With Not For and VML Centred Accessibility by Embedding Inclusivity at Every Touchpoint

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 20% of the world’s population lives with some form of hearing loss. Relajet AI, new communication technology from tech leader, Arm, is providing new and innovative solutions to help tackle it.

Arm reached out to VML with a brief to help showcase the innovation. Once Jamie Gazard, the VML Live executive producer, saw that the lead character – a musician – was to be hard of hearing, he instantly knew it was vital that “our casting reflects this authentically,” he says. It was a chance for the agency to do something that’s often talked about but so rarely accomplished: embed inclusivity and authenticity at every creative touchpoint.

The Relajet device allows users to focus on specific sound frequencies, like music, and Jamie says the team “felt this should be represented through the use of a truly beautiful sound. And what’s more evocative than the sound of an orchestra?”

Jamie had been in touch with Kelly Gordon, co-founder, and Emma Gardner, co-founder and COO, of With Not For (WNF) – a disability founded talent and production agency – for over a year at that point, after seeing them give a talk at Disability Pride at VML’s HQ. “I’ve been waiting for the right project to tap into their expertise, and this creative felt like the perfect fit,” Jamie says.

“This project was the perfect opportunity to showcase our talent and our team's overall skill when it comes to becoming part of the production process,” adds Kelly.

Finding the right actress for the part was crucial. Kelly considered a lot of different actresses but when she saw Sophie Moss, she knew instantly she was right for the part. “I knew from the first time I saw Sophie that she was the right fit for this campaign. I was sitting at my desk in my home working space and she brought me to tears through the screen. The emotion that she is able to portray, all stemming from her lived experience, is extremely powerful.”

“Sophie's charisma and talent shone through from the beginning and it was an easy decision to cast her,” says Arm’s head of brand and creative, Jonathan Armstrong. “Working with Sophie on set was a delight.”

But Sophie’s inclusion was about more than authenticity on screen. “We ensured throughout the process of initial consultancy to the production of the final ad that Sophie's lived experience was at the heart of the story,” says Kelly, adding, “what you see on screen is Sophie's lived experience as a musician who is hard of hearing.”

The team had to work to maintain a delicate balance between the specificity of Sophie’s experience and authentic resonance with the wider deaf community. “In all work that we do, we also work with a pool of our talent to ensure that the general representation feels right for the community. It's important as Disabled people that we are mindful of our community and we are also aware that our own individual experiences are not always reflective of those experienced by others within our community,” Kelly says. “In every job we work on, whether it's a small piece of consultancy or a full scale production, we involve research to ensure everything is authentic and it resonates with the community.”

Jamie adds that “WNF offered invaluable guidance during pre-production, helping us ensure the project remained authentic and respectful to the real-life experiences of people with hearing impairments.”

Thanks to consultation from WNF, access coordinators were present on set during the production, whose role was to advocate for talent and their access needs. A rare feat when research says that only 23% of employers provide workplace adjustments for Disabled staff. Kelly says “As Disabled people, there is a lot of subconscious guilt that can be present around work and we often push ourselves to perform to a really high standard without thinking about the long term effects.” She notes how a lot of this internal pressure stems from “often negative portrayals surrounding disability and work within the mainstream media. It is so much better to have an access coordinator that can predetermine your needs and ensure these are advocated for on the day, as well as advising in situations that may arise unexpectedly.”

Working with a company like WNF was a first for VML, says Jamie, but it certainly won’t be its last. He calls the experience “a valuable one,” reflecting that “the process encouraged us to pause and reflect on the authenticity of what we were portraying on screen. WNF reminded us that we should never assume we understand someone else’s lived experience. Instead, they helped us gain genuine insight through their expertise and dedicated focus groups.”

For Jonathan, working with WNF on the process showed that “there's lots of talent out there when you look outside the mainstream.”

The process of working with VML couldn't have been better, Kelly says. “The team at VML made it incredibly easy for us to give feedback, making our team feel valued and seen. They made it clear from the start that they trusted us as experts in this field and therefore we always had a voice throughout this process, which can be rare when working with multiple stakeholders. It was honestly such a lovely experience throughout and we had minimal challenges because everyone was so open to feedback and change.”

At a time when the industry’s inclusivity efforts often feel surface and performative, the collaboration between WNF, VML, and Arm stands out as a blueprint for how true accessibility and representation can be woven into every layer of the creative process. The result? A beautifully crafted spot that not only resonates with its audience, but also proves that inclusive thinking is smart business.