Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025: spotlighting Guinness’s campaign with Field of Vision and Six Nations Rugby

03 Dec 2025 Europe Inclusion and Diversity

A person wearing a green-and-white scarf and green earphones smiles broadly with their eyes closed, appearing joyful while standing among a crowd at what looks like a sports event.

At Diageo, our purpose is to ‘celebrate life, every day, everywhere’ and we want everyone to feel invited and included. We believe this isn’t just the right thing to do – it's good for business. Our brands need to reflect and represent all our consumers around the world that enjoy them.

We are committed to driving greater representation of people with disabilities both in front of and behind the camera, and have inclusive design across products, brand homes, experiences, and on-trade partnerships.

‘Never Settle’

Earlier this year, Guinness teamed up with Irish start-up Field of Vision and Six Nations Rugby for its award-winning ‘Never Settle’ campaign – an example of the brand’s mission to make rugby more inclusive.

On average, of the 52,000 fans hosted in the Aviva stadium in Ireland, less than 0.1%¹ identify themselves as visually impaired. This is despite the fact that 10%² of the Irish population have this disability. This significant discrepancy led our team to investigate barriers experienced by visually impaired fans; and found that many felt like they didn’t belong.

So, as title partner and sponsor of the tournament, Guinness partnered with Field of Vision to introduce a cutting-edge device that uses touch-based technology that allows visually impaired fans to fully experience the thrill of live sports.

Field of Vision’s devices give users a play-by-play of the ball’s movement using vibrations, so every pass tackle and score are felt in real time. For months, the team worked alongside fans to develop a unique haptic language so they could partake in every match-day moment. They were also given accompanying radios that provided live commentary.

The technology was put to the test at the opening game of the Six Nations in Ireland in February this year, ensuring that every fan could experience the same game together. These devices were then rolled out to all Guinness Six Nations matches in Ireland, across both the Men’s and Women’s Championship.

As part of the campaign, Guinness shared the story of Martin Gordon, two-time Paralympian and ‘Never Settle’ ambassador. The film shares his transformative spectating experience.

Guinness also worked with Virgin Media to ensure the broadcast was more accessible. Using bespoke research, Guinness invested in accessible technology that was used for the first time on a live Irish broadcast. And in Diageo Great Britain, Guinness and ITV have partnered to create live audio descriptive commentary during the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 and the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.

Plans are currently underway for the second year of this project, as Guinness continues to ensure rugby is a sport that is inclusive and accessible for all.

Liam El Sibai, Senior Brand Manager at Diageo Ireland, said, “This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we’re proud to spotlight this amazing initiative. By introducing life-changing technology to the game of rugby, our hope is that more people feel empowered to attend and enjoy live sporting events. The recognition this work has received is humbling, but the real accolade is witnessing more fans share in the exhilaration of the game, together.”

Disabled Creatives

Diageo has a long-standing partnership with Creative Equals, an organisation that champions inclusion and diversity within the creative industries.

In 2023, their Disabled Creatives programme was launched, dedicated to supporting disabled and neurodivergent creatives by providing the right tools and support, while also creating opportunities to amplify their voices.

Disabled Creatives contributed to the work to make Guinness Six Nations 2024 the most inclusive yet, enhancing at-home and stadium experiences for fans with less apparent disabilities. This included specialised training for stadium staff and the provision of resources such as stress balls and earplugs to create a welcoming environment for all fans.

You can apply now for the 2026 Disabled Creatives programme here: https://www.creativeequals.org/disabledcreatives

Ali Hanan, Founder of Creative Equals, said, “We are delighted that our work with Diageo has inspired and led to this important project. Our ambition is to empower disabled creatives with skills, networks, and mentorship, while also advocating for industry inclusivity through open-minded changes. This campaign is an example of just that – opening the doors to live sporting events for all fans and helping them to actively overcome any barriers to enjoyment."

A close-up of a person’s hands using a tactile Field of Vision tablet that displays a raised outline of a rugby pitch, allowing them to feel the layout through touch.

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoﬀ, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in nearly 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

_{¹According to the Irish Rugby Football Union}
_{²Source: https://www.cso.ie/en/}