Seeing things Differently
Improving services for visually impaired
Volunteers were thinking about a novel way to highlight the issues people visual impairments faced when visiting health settings. Making this film was important on a number of levels. Not only did it give health and care providers the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of people with limited vision, it also led to the creation of a citywide group that is now aiming to improve accessibility in services for all. The ‘Inclusion for All’ hub is now making sure inclusion and accessibility are on the agenda for all health and care services. Making the film threw up some challenges for our volunteers, Shanjida and Gemma, but was worth it and both were really happy with it.
“I did the film because I have experienced my parents having difficulty accessing health and social care services and hoped that the video would encourage change to be made to help everyone with accessing services. One of the challenges while making the film was trying to cover the lens to mimic different types of eye conditions while filming at the same time. I think my creative skills helped with considering the ways we wanted the film to be seen. During the process I learnt how to use various video editing software.” Gemma Healthwatch volunteer
Alison, one of the stars of the film and Healthwatch Leeds volunteer said, “Working with the two very capable media volunteers was amazing, they achieved such a lot. Knowing LTHT use the video for training is reassuring, as it will help offer a patient’s view.”
Fellow volunteer Jane who also stars in the film added, “There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. I’m glad I’ve inspired change in healthcare and been able to put out a voice for those who couldn’t be heard, including myself. The project has been a privilege and hope it inspires others to speak out when it comes to health because it matters.”
Healthwatch Leeds volunteers Shanjida and Gemma shoot the ‘Seeing things Differently’ video with our ‘actress’ Alison Chancellor Wing. making a short film to help communicate the findings of our Visual Impairment survey.
Shanjida explains shooting the video
What was the reasons for doing the film?
It was honestly one of the most unique opportunities offered to raise awareness in an aspect of society that I feel like is so misunderstood. Visual impairment is an umbrella term that encompasses so many different aspects upon impact on sight and so being able to create something that breaks not only breaks stereotypes but also educated and raises awareness upon the challenges faced and variations of sight conditions was actually an incredible experience. As a student nurse it was honestly a huge wake up call for me, it highlighted the fact that no one person is the same and no one person sees life the same way.
What were the challenges in making the film?
For the most part I think it was trying to find an accurate way to portray what sight loss actually looks like. We managed to obtain lenses that helped recreate this as there are so many different conditions. From speaking to the actors who starred in our videos too, it made it all the more apparent to give justice to their stories and how they experience/see life which we managed to somewhat achieve with the lenses. I think for me personally it was trying to find the right way to give their stories justice.
What skills did you use and what skills did you learn?
The most significant skills learnt was becoming aware of the different features that help aid those with visual impairment in everyday life: use of traffic lights/road bumps, colour of texts etc. And incorporating those into our video. The software used to create the video was something that took a lot of trial and error too, we quite literally spent days experimenting and it ended up paying off. Overall, I’d say the biggest skill I managed to accomplish was being able to capture a person’s story, as a film maker, and create a project from start to end that creatively portrays this. Not only this but being a part of something much bigger than just story telling but essentially giving a voice to a group of individuals that deserve to be heard because quite frankly the basic fundamental standards to make their life’s easy aren’t always being met.
Most certainly an experience that I will never forget, not only did it challenge my own stereotypes and misunderstanding but it taught me a lesson that I’ll forever carry for life as an individual and as a future health care professional too.
As you can see, volunteering for Healthwatch Leeds is a very varied role where you can learn new skills and also make a real impact on people’s lives!
We are so lucky to have such talented & creative volunteers supporting us.
Healthwatch Leeds volunteer Shanjida Talks about the challenges in making the film for Healthwatch Leeds.
