Brain Injury X-posed: The Survivor's View
I came across this link to a very cool project called Brain Injury X-Posed from the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts.
They used a technique called PhotoVoice to create photos of the experiences of living with a brain injury.
What is PhotoVoice?
Photovoice is a process by which people can represent their lives, points of view, and experiences using photographs and narratives. Since 1991, people around the world have projected a vision of their lives and educated researchers, social service providers, and policymakers using photovoice. Many groups — from village women in China to young people in American cities, youth leaders in South Africa, and community health volunteers in California — have used photovoice.
I'll let them tell you a bit about this learning project themselves...
What does it feel like to live with a brain injury? What are the issues and concerns of survivors? How do they cope? Where do they find comfort, support, and hope?
Brain Injury X-Posed: The Survivor’s View is a photographic exhibit created by eight members of the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts Framingham support group. Each participant in the project took photographs and wrote personal narratives that reflect their experience living with brain injury. The exhibit was on display during March 2009 at the Massachusetts State House in Boston.
“Taking photos and talking about them helped to peel away the layers of issues and emotions like the layers of an onion,” says Barbara Webster, facilitator of the Framingham group, who also sustained a TBI.
...
The exhibit is a moving glimpse of how individuals with brain injury deal with this major change and move on with life," said Laura Lorenz, Ph.D., Brandeis University, who brought this "PhotoVoice" project to the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts.
The link to their site will let you see their photos and even download a guide to how do a PhotoVoice project.
For more examples of PhotoVoice projects to get your creative ideas flowing, visit PhotoVoice.ca
Site Admin
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I believe that comfort and support comes to those living with brain injury when the Service providers, Community Facilitators, friends and other support groups help to reduce the cycle of devaluation for those living with brain injury.
The cycle of devaluation was a discovery by Dr. Peggy Hutchison, an Associate Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University. The cycle works like this. First, the individual who has an impairment/handicap or even a brain injury is identified and labelled as someone with an impairment. Next, this individual with an impairment is being segregated and excluded from the community and placed with others who have impairments. This leads to fewer opportunities and possibly even further impairment/handicap and/or even worse stages of brain injury.
If interested, I would be more than happy to present to you the book that would describe the cycle of devaluation in greater detail and describe as well different sources of empowerment that can help those with impairment to be included in community outreach and other services through participation, support and teamwork.
I can also get in contact with Dr. Peggy Hutchison and I am sure she would be happy to go into greater detail with some of the practical experiences she faced in her life.
Regards,
Bishoy Safe
Hi Bishoy:
We would love to have a chance to read the book and maybe be able to talk more with Dr. Hutchison about ways to enhance our Members' sense of empowerment.
Interesting book, I´ll check for it. Thanks for the info!
Bishoy:
I wonder if you can share the exact title of Dr. Hutchison's book with us -- love the sharing I'm seeing happen!! 8^)
The title of the book that discusses the cycle of devaluation is called "Leisure, Integration and Community" by Dr. Peggy Hutchison and Judith McGill. I hope this answers the question posted by the Site Admin. Thanks.
Also, if interested, since I am not working with ABI Possibilities, what I can do is provide you with Dr. peggy Hutchison's contact info. so you may call her and find ways to meet. Her contact is as follows:
Brock University
(905) 688 - 5550 x. 4269
peggy.hutchison@brocku.ca
I hope this information answers the Site Admin. question on August 17/09. If you happen to have any more concerns or questions feel free to email me at bishoy6@hotmail.com. Thanks
Knowledge is the key to solving or minimizing some of the challenges in this world of abi,to individuals living with brain injury, their families and friends,and so are the service providers and medical team.
OBIA and other Suport Groups offer great help and new ideas.
ACBIS ie Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists does research,offers education and advocacy training to all in this field.Visit www.biausa.org
Hi Ted:
Knowledge for sure is part of what we need -- along with creativity and an openness to doing things differently (Or doing different things!).
A number of our service providers have or are working on their CBIS or CBIT accreditation-thanks for sharing the link! There's a bit of "translation" to be done for those of us in Canada, but still lots of good info for people to have. ;-)