Who Do You See?

I went to see the ‘Who Do You See?’ exhibition at Parachute (Drop – in group for people with learning disabilities in Macclesfield). Some powerful images and messages were expressed by people who attend the group, like….:

Treat me nicely like a normal person.”

“Be patient with each other.  It would be better.  We’re only here for a short time.”

I spoke to Karen the project manager about some of the challenges, stereotypes and stigma. She said it was difficult sometimes getting health professionals on board to address some of the challenges. To cut a long story short….

We started to focus on communication – addressing the person rather than their carer.   Wouldn’t it be great if the GP could say hello to someone with limited speech and language! 

Cheshire East Council are looking at ways to improve access to services and remove real or perceived barriers. So I have emailed CEC staff to ask that as part of this initiative they consider some basic Makaton training (a simpler version of BSL) for front-line health staff. I’ll let you know what happens.

If you are experiencing challenges or have issues that need voicing, send me an email and I’ll arrange a date to come out and explore with you the best way to address them louise.daniels@cvsce.org.uk