UCL Public Policy’s Post

As UK Disability History Month draws to a close this week, I’m thrilled to share the final report for my project on invisible illness and disability. Heads Together: Non-Visible Illness and Disability Community-Building facilitated interactive workshops with UCL staff experiencing chronic migraine, a neurological conditions which affects 1 million people in the UK. Through two disability justice workshops, this project created a supportive space for staff to express the cognitive and emotional load of working with non-visible disability. The report highlights the pragmatic and logistical issues faced by such staff – and how it feels to continue to mask the challenges of navigating these experiences in the workplace. Together we: 🎨Engaged in self-reflection on lived experiences of migraine using creative materials. 🔎Discussed what navigating the workplace with migraine entails. 🤝Explored and mapped the community and support available to those with migraine. 📝Suggested recommendations which would be more inclusive to these colleagues, as well as others working with invisible illnesses. Despite the variability of migraine as a condition, participants agreed on several tangible, feasible adjustments which would assist in managing migraine at work. They also responded very enthusiastically to the opportunity to connect with others and develop a sense of community – something which improves work, and life, for all of us. This piece of work is probably the closest to my heart that I’ve ever undertaken. I invite you to read and share the report, which features participant creations beautifully illustrated by Dr John Miers. I would love to hear feedback and comments particularly from those persevering through migraine and other invisible illnesses, and those who support them. You can find the report here: https://lnkd.in/eTfSKbhf UCL Grand Challenges UCL Public Policy #ukdisabilityhistorymonth #migraine #chronicmigraine #invisibleillness