They also want more coverage of para sport. Tapping into this sentiment, a new campaign aims to raise awareness that disability doesn't limit greatness
TORONTO, March 7, 2018 /CNW/ - CIBC (CM:TSX) (CM:NYSE) As Canada's Paralympians gear up to compete in PyeongChang, a new CIBC poll reveals that more than half (58 per cent) of Canadians plan to watch the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and many (53 per cent) believe there should be more TV broadcast coverage of para sport. Among the top Paralympic events Canadians say they are most likely to watch are Para ice hockey (56 per cent) followed by Para snowboard (46 per cent) and Para alpine (40 per cent).
![Join CIBC in support of those who #ShatterBarriers Join CIBC in support of those who #ShatterBarriers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Qy-vCCm_rM/hqdefault.jpg)
While many will be tuning in, one-in-three Canadians (33 per cent) believe our Paralympians do not get the public recognition or media attention they deserve. And, the majority (88 percent) agree there are challenges to shifting perceptions about persons with disabilities, with 36 per cent citing a lack of knowledge around the capabilities of persons with disabilities as the biggest obstacle for change.
As premier partner of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), CIBC is helping raise awareness of para-athletes' achievements with #ShatterBarriers, a campaign developed with Chelsey Gotell, a Paralympic gold-medal swimmer, and Josh Cassidy, a Parapan Am silver-medal wheelchair racer. The campaign's video depicts Canadian para-athletes embracing the physical grind of their sport and shattering their own personal barriers to realize their Paralympic dreams.
"We know we need to change perceptions around how Canadians view persons with disabilities and we think this campaign helps to put a focus on our abilities and what we are all capable of achieving," says Chelsey Gotell, Paralympic gold-medal swimmer and Chairperson International Paralympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee Athletes' Council.
"CIBC's partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Team showcases our commitment to removing barriers, raising awareness and sharing admiration for Paralympians who represent Canada on the world stage," says Kevin Patterson, Senior Executive Vice-President at CIBC and chair of the bank's Inclusion & Diversity Council. "Sport not only brings people together in celebration, but is also a powerful vehicle to shift society's attitudes and perceptions about disability and help promote inclusivity."
To help Canadians further rally around our athletes, CIBC will once again host welcome home events for our Paralympians like it did following the Paralympic Games in Sochi and Rio. This year's events will take place at major airports as athletes return from South Korea. CIBC banking centres across the country will also host events for the athletes.
"Canada's Paralympians are ready to showcase their athleticism and most importantly their greatness," says Karen O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "We are proud to partner with CIBC to call on all Canadians to unite in support of our athletes and tune in to watch the most comprehensive coverage of any Paralympic Games in Canada," she added, referrring to the Canadian Paralympic Committee Media Consortium which will bring every minute of action from PyeongChang to Canada.
Read about how the Canadian Paralympic Committee Media Consortium will bring every minute of action from PyeongChang to Canada.
CIBC's support of the CPC is just one facet of the bank's commitment to foster inclusion and diversity. CIBC was also Lead Partner of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games and Signature Sponsor of Team Canada at last year's Invictus Games Toronto 2017. Beyond sport, CIBC is also a proud founding member of Employers Forums on Accessibility. In 2017, CIBC committed to hiring 500 team members with disabilities and exceeded that goal in the same year.
Paralympics Poll Disclaimer:
From February 16 to February 18, 2018 an online survey was conducted among 1,447 randomly selected Canadian adults 18-74 years of age who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the adult population of Canada who are 18-74 years old. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution with 11 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Small Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network, and locations across Canada, in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/en/about-cibc/media-centre.html or by following on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/cibc), Twitter @CIBC, Facebook (www.facebook.com/CIBC) and Instagram @CIBCNow.
SOURCE CIBC
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Olga Petrycki, Director of Public Relations, CIBC, 416-306-9760 or [email protected]
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