September 2023 update: Our Pledge To Be Seen campaign is now integrated within our ongoing partnership work.
Our Pledge To Be Seen campaign continues to expand, with NHSGGC now on board. In signing up, the UK’s largest NHS health provider is committing to represent more people with a visible difference in their publications and campaigns.
Nearly one in five people in the UK identify as having a visible difference, such as a scar, mark or condition that affects their appearance. Despite this, more than half of those who responded to our independent research said they feel ignored by organisations or brands. By committing to the pledge, NHSGGC will ensure people with a visible difference feel acknowledged and accepted, both in the healthcare sphere and more widely.
Dr Emilia Crighton, Interim Director of Public Health at NHSGGC, says: “Providing fair and equitable healthcare for all is at the heart of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and we are acutely aware of how important it is to accurately represent our diverse community in all our materials and campaigns.
“Our ongoing commitment to building a fairer workplace for everyone means creating an environment where diversity is valued – better equipping us to appropriately support our patient community.
“This pledge reinforces our resolve to ensure that anyone with a visible difference feels both seen and heard by our organisation.”
Every organisation, like NHSGGC, that signs up to Pledge To Be Seen is helping to make more positive representation a reality for everyone with a visible difference and their families.
We will be working with NHSGGC to develop creative briefs with diversity and inclusivity at their heart.
Kaylin, one of our campaigners based in Glasgow, says: “I’m proud that an organisation as significant as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has agreed to back Changing Faces’ Pledge To Be Seen campaign. When you stop and think about it, you hardly ever see someone with a visible difference in adverts or marketing campaigns, and all too often, if visible differences are represented in popular culture, it isn’t in a positive way, with the “disfigured villain” trope still very common.
“Better representation is key to greater acceptance of difference. Everyone with a scar, mark or visible condition should feel comfortable seeing themselves represented by organisations working in our communities. I’m looking forward to seeing people with visible differences included within public information campaigns, in leaflets and on webpages, as well as in recruitment materials; people with a visible difference are just as capable of being professionals working in the NHS as anyone else. Every organisation, like NHSGGC, that signs up to Pledge To Be Seen is helping to make more positive representation a reality for everyone with a visible difference and their families.”
Campaigner Kaylin is pleased that NHSGGC has signed up to Pledge To Be Seen
Dr Rebecca Crawford, Consultant Clinical Psychologist with NHSGGC, also recognises the positive impact that can be made by better representation.
She says: “I have worked with many service users who have visible differences and am only too aware of the negative response that people may have to deal with in various aspects of their life.
“More and better representation across society is crucial to creating acceptance. It is also important that every one of us can be reassured by seeing ourselves represented by organisations we rely on for our health and wellbeing, such as NHSGGC.”
We know that positive representation is important; the more diversity the public sees, the more normalised all differences will become.
As part of this Pledge, NHSGGC will also be providing staff training to increase understanding of the issues around visible difference and better support their patients and colleagues.
Heather Blake, our Chief Executive says: “Having NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde commit to being a Pledge To Be Seen organisation is a huge step forward for our mission in Scotland. Being partnered with the UK’s largest NHS health provider will ensure many more people learn about what life is like with a visible difference, and how they can make the world a more accepting place.
“Part of the Pledge To Be Seen commitment is to include people with visible differences in external and internal communications, such as job adverts and public information campaigns. We know that positive representation is important; the more diversity the public sees, the more normalised all differences will become. We hope having an organisation as influential as NHSGGC on board will encourage many others to sign up to our Pledge To Be Seen campaign too.”