Glasgow health board pledges to represent more people with visible differences.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has signed up to charity Changing Faces' campaign, Pledge to be Seen.
In joining, they are committing to represent more people with a visible difference in publications and campaigns.
A visible difference is a scar, mark or condition that affects their appearance.
Dr Emilia Crighton, Interim Director of Public Health at NHSGGC, said: “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.”
Kaylin McLaughlin from Castlemilk is a campaigner for Changing Faces. She said: “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.”
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