The Brewers Collective is continuing their push for diversity within the beer industry, this time by increasing representation of people with disabilities.
It’s an initiative you may never have considered, unless of course you happen to be someone who is never represented in an ad campaign – a push for diversity within the beer industry. With the help of the Brewers Collective and their Elevate initiative, representation is being boosted by expanding the availability of stock photos featuring “beer drinkers with diverse abilities.”
According to a press release, the Brewers Collective is helping to expand stock photo libraries at places like Unsplash and Pexels. The newest batch of images will feature beer drinkers with a wide range of disabilities.
Marcelo “Mika” Michaelis, the President of the Brewers Collective, shared his thoughts on the initiative by saying, “I’m immensely proud that we’ve expanded our stock photography initiative to spotlight one of the most under-represented groups of people, people with disabilities.”
While beer drinkers may not know who the Brewers Collective is, this is actually the “craft business unit of Anheuser-Busch.” And this means that while they may handle craft beers, they also understand what people are looking for in the beer industry.
In an effort to be an advocate for their customers, the Brewers Collective has taken the next step towards bringing more diversity and inclusivity into the world of the beer industry. By expanding the library of available photos of beer drinkers to include more disabled people, they are making a statement about representation within their own industry.
The fact that all of these images can be used free of charge for use in any type of media means that even a blogger wanting to write about their favorite beer can find a picture that better represents themselves. And with these all being professional quality images, all media outlets can utilize these pictures in their coverage, allowing for better representation across the board.
While you may not think that a picture of someone drinking a beer is newsworthy, the reality is that representation matters. And thanks to the Brewers Collective, more people are being represented in the media, which is important for the people finally being seen.
What do you think of the beer industry finally being more inclusive by adding image of disabled people drinking beer? Do you feel like this initiative is a step in the right direction for a more diverse library of images? Tell us what you think in the comments.