While a small number of brands have embraced diversity, few have featured models with visible disabilities in their campaigns.
Asos has released a new activewear advertising campaign featuring models of various backgrounds, genders and abilities in order to encourage shoppers to see working out, not as burden, but as a form of self expression.
Much like Dolce & Gabbana has been sneaking curve models into their campaigns, Asos has included a visibly disabled model in theirs - without making a song or dance of it.
An Asos representative told HuffPost UK they would not be commenting on the topic as “we think the campaign says it all”.
However, while such acts of inclusivity should be so run of the mill they can go without comment, sadly they are still a rarity and Richard Lane, head of communications at disability charity Scope, has been championing the move.
“It’s great to see a highly-recognised fashion outlet like Asos featuring a disabled model in their new active wear campaign,” he said.
“There are 13 million disabled people in the UK, but they rarely see their lives reflected in marketing campaigns, the media, in advertising and in popular culture.
“Seeing more disabled people in the media is key to challenging society’s attitudes to disability.”
The featured model goes by the name of Mama Cāx and is a blogger and speaker well known for her body positive posts.
Mama Cāx’s preferred method of working out is yoga, which she is seen practicing in the campaign video.
She told Asos: “After my amputation, I struggled with chronic back pain. I was looking for a workout that was easy on my knee and yoga was the perfect solution.”