TO THE BULLIES
FOUR out of five people with disfigurements have been the target of cruel comments from strangers, says a report.
The report Disfigurement in the UK – launched on Face Equality Day yesterday – is a bid to tackle discrimination and remove barriers to success.
It also revealed nearly half have experienced unpleasantness from a shop assistant, while the same number of schoolkids with a disfigurement have suffered discrimination because of it. Four-fifths have avoided applying for a job because they thought their appearance would hinder them at interview, and nine out of 10 who use dating websites have been the target of unpleasant remarks about their appearance. A spokesman for the charity Changing Faces, who commissioned the research, said: “This report is a call to action for everyone who stands for equality”, to “make it a priority to reduce health inequalities as a result of disfigurement and ensure patients with disfigurements are treated fairly and respectfully”.
Among other recommendations was a call to the NHS and related organisations to reduce health inequalities.
Rob Murray, Scotland manager for Changing Faces, said: “We are hoping to raise awareness. We have been promised top people in the Scottish Government and opposition parties will be looking at our report’s findings.”