Disability Matters and Humanising Healthcare projects launch the film Be Cancer Aware, in collaboration with Sunderland People First.
At one of our Disability Matters Online Symposia events last year, our audience asked us a question. How can we highlight the research and scholarship being done by those in our community with learning disabilities? How can we work to ensure their research expertise is represented?
To explore approaching this question the Disability Matters team teamed up with colleagues on the project. Our discussions brought us to think of film as a means of capturing the research of one of our research partners. We also engaged with a film-maker. The outcome was Be Cancer Aware, a film showcasing the work being done by Sunderland People First, who have over 20 years of experience championing the rights of people with a learning disability and autistic people; and carrying out research and innovation with a host of external stakeholders.
Be Cancer Aware is a training session created and facilitated by people with learning disabilities. The aim is to help people with learning disabilities, as well as those who support them, to understand the signs of cancer, the screening process, and where to go for support and advice.
The film captures the difficulties in navigating inaccessible healthcare, and how Sunderland People First draw on their own personal experience and research to inform the training. Their work is an example of effective co-production research and innovation in action.
As a programme, we wish to explore ways of showcasing the amazing work and discussion occurring in all spheres of the disability community.
Thank you to Sunderland People First, Humanising Healthcare and our film-maker Joanna Tobbell.
