About Mencap’s study cases.

 

  This section details the proactive steps taken by "Our Shout" to raise awareness about healthcare experiences

 of people with disabilities, directly engaging with healthcare professionals and future practitioners. Here's a breakdown of the key points:

Acting Through Performance:

• The Power of Storytelling: The decision to create and perform a play based on their experiences with the NHS 

• demonstrates a powerful and creative approach to raising awareness and fostering empathy. Personal narratives can 

• be incredibly impactful in conveying the human cost of systemic issues.

• Targeting Key Audiences: Performing at various locations, including Pond Lane Clinic, The Partnership Board Meeting, 

• New Cross Hospital, and universities (Walsall and Wolverhampton), shows a strategic effort to reach different

• stakeholders within the healthcare system, from practitioners to decision-makers and future professionals.

• Positive Reception and Impact: The positive feedback from healthcare staff who found their play "very successful"

• indicates that their message was resonating and potentially influencing perspectives.

• Direct Communication of Needs: The act of telling health staff "how we want to be treated by Health staff in the future"

• is a direct and assertive way of advocating for their rights and needs.

Acknowledging the Scale of the Problem and the Promise of Change:

• Contextualizing Personal Experiences: Debra Edwards' comment acknowledging their

• experiences while also highlighting the tragic deaths of six individuals under NHS care provides a sobering context, 

• emphasizing that their struggles are part of a larger, more critical issue.

• Hope for Gradual Improvement: The realistic expectation of "very slow improvement"

• acknowledges the systemic nature of the problems while still holding onto the hope that their efforts will contribute to positive change over time.

• Shared Goal of Preventing Future Tragedies: The agreement between the author 

• and Debra Edwards on the primary goal of preventing unnecessary deaths in 

• the future underscores a shared commitment to improving the system.

Educating Future Healthcare Professionals:

• Targeting Student Nurses: Performing at the University of Walsall to educate student nurses is a crucial step in shaping

• the attitudes and practices of future healthcare professionals. Early exposure to the lived experiences of people with

• disabilities can foster greater empathy and understanding.

• Expanding Educational Reach: The desire to perform for GPs and pharmacy staff demonstrates a commitment to

• reaching a wider range of healthcare providers who interact with people with disabilities.

Personal Advocacy and Sharing Lessons Learned:

• Sharing the Impact of Medication: The author's potential talk about the negative effects of their old medication

• highlights the importance of understanding the specific needs and potential vulnerabilities of individuals with disabilities,

• especially regarding medication and its side effects.

• Illustrating the Far-Reaching Consequences: The description of how the medication affected their mobility,

• education, and safety awareness provides a powerful example of the significant impact that inadequate or

• inappropriate treatment can have on a person's life.

Advocating Better Dental Care:

• Addressing Specific Health Concerns: The author's contribution to the Health and Well-being group

• meeting on dental care demonstrates a commitment to addressing the specific health needs of people with disabilities,

• such as the impact of medication on gum health.

Connecting Funding Issues to Healthcare Quality:

• Highlighting Misplaced Priorities: The observation that the government tends to spend money on "the least important things" while neglecting health directly links funding decisions to the quality of care and staff shortages.

• Emphasizing the Importance of Healthcare Investment: The simple yet powerful statement "health is important" underscores the fundamental need for adequate investment in healthcare services.

Introducing a New Focus: Learning Disability Hate Crime Awareness:

• Expanding the Scope of Advocacy: The mention of "Learning Disability Hate Crime Awareness" indicates a broadening of their advocacy efforts to address the issue of discrimination and hate crimes faced by people with learning disabilities, highlighting the multifaceted challenges they encounter.

In conclusion, this section showcases the proactive and impactful advocacy work of "Our Shout." By using their personal experiences to educate healthcare professionals and the wider community, they are actively working to create a more understanding, equitable, and safer healthcare system for people with disabilities. Their efforts to reach future practitioners and address specific health and social issues demonstrate a comprehensive and determined approach to driving positive change.