About the project
Context
Children with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in media and face persistent barriers to meaningful social inclusion. Traditional approaches have failed to address both the media representation gap and the real-world isolation experienced by these children, particularly in smaller communities.
Our response
The Nothing Club addresses these challenges through an unprecedented dual approach:
Children with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in media and face persistent barriers to meaningful social inclusion. Traditional approaches have failed to address both the media representation gap and the real-world isolation experienced by these children, particularly in smaller communities.
Our response
The Nothing Club addresses these challenges through an unprecedented dual approach:
- Digital children’s series: A professionally produced 10 episode × 10 minute series featuring diverse characters and authentic storytelling that normalizes disability while celebrating uniqueness and modeling inclusive friendships.
- Digital community hub: An innovative online platform that facilitates the creation of grassroots “Nothing Clubs” across Canada, providing tools, resources and facilitation guides for children, parents, guardians, and educators to build communities around shared interests.
What makes us unique
The Nothing Club is the first initiative to directly connect media representation with actionable community-building tools, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem where digital content inspires real-world connection. Unlike traditional programming that ends when the credits roll, our approach extends the impact through facilitated community engagement, addressing the critical link between social inclusion and health outcomes for children with disabilities in a comprehensive, sustainable way.
Measurable impacts
The Nothing Club is the first initiative to directly connect media representation with actionable community-building tools, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem where digital content inspires real-world connection. Unlike traditional programming that ends when the credits roll, our approach extends the impact through facilitated community engagement, addressing the critical link between social inclusion and health outcomes for children with disabilities in a comprehensive, sustainable way.
Measurable impacts
- Establish 25–30 Nothing Clubs across Canada within the first year, with a focus on geographic diversity.
- Engage 2,000+ children (with and without disabilities) in meaningful inclusive interactions.
- Measure improvement in participants’ sense of belonging using pre- and post-program assessments.
- Develop an evidence-based framework that can be shared with other organizations and communities.
