Tag: Cancer

  • Accessible Cancer Care: Lessons from Autistic Communities

    Accessible Cancer Care: Lessons from Autistic Communities

    Rosie Tansley and Katie Munday shared insights from their talk at Manchester Metropolitan University about improving cancer services for autistic individuals. The presentation highlighted community-based projects addressing accessibility, patient experiences, and necessary changes in care. Free tickets are available for the hybrid event on March 11th.

  • Trans Aware Cancer Care: Why Listening Saves Lives

    Trans Aware Cancer Care: Why Listening Saves Lives

    Trans+ individuals in the UK face significant barriers in accessing cancer care, leading to lower screening rates and heightened health risks. The Trans Aware Cancer Care project highlights personal stories, emphasising the need for systemic changes, including inclusive practices and staff education. Positive interactions can improve care experiences and outcomes significantly.

  • Inclusive Cancer Care: Voices of the Disabled Community

    Inclusive Cancer Care: Voices of the Disabled Community

    The project led by Rosie Tansley and Katie Munday focuses on making cancer care accessible for disabled and neurodivergent individuals. Through participatory methods, it identifies barriers such as inaccessible information and poor communication, while proposing solutions that prioritise empathy and inclusivity in healthcare. Meaningful changes are essential for effective support.

  • Transforming Cancer Care: Listening to Disabled Voices

    Transforming Cancer Care: Listening to Disabled Voices

    The project with Help and Care, Wessex Cancer Alliance, and Macmillan Cancer Support highlights the inequities disabled people face within cancer services. Participants shared distressing experiences showing systemic bias and barriers. The research emphasizes the importance of listening to these voices, advocating for dignity, and fostering empathy to ensure equitable treatment for all individuals in…

  • Transforming Cancer Services: Voices of the Neurodivergent

    Transforming Cancer Services: Voices of the Neurodivergent

    In 2023, the project “What I’d Like to Say” project examined the experiences of disabled and neurodivergent individuals with cancer services. Following the initial findings, phase two focused on solutions, gathering suggestions for improvement through discussions and art-based methods. A new screening project aims to enhance service experiences for marginalized communities.

  • Cervical Screening for Trans+ Autistic people: A Self-Advocacy zine

    Cervical Screening for Trans+ Autistic people: A Self-Advocacy zine

    Georgia Rivers and I have created a zine for trans+ Autistic people to be informed on their rights when thinking about, or engaging in cervical screening in the UK. The zine can be found here at Heyzine. And now available in print with a sliding scale price. Get your copy at Penfight. Text from the…

  • Improving Cancer Care for Trans+ Individuals

    Improving Cancer Care for Trans+ Individuals

    Trans Aware Cancer Care is concluding its initial phase, focusing on the experiences of trans+ individuals with cancer services. Participants created expressive squares to form a large trans flag, which will be showcased in hospitals. The project emphasizes the need for inclusivity, sensitivity, and normalizing pronoun sharing in healthcare practices to enhance trans+ patient experiences.

  • Autistic and living with cancer: What you need to know

    Autistic and living with cancer: What you need to know

    This piece was written with Dr.Char Goodwin who is the lead researcher for the Autistic Experiences of Breast Cancer research project, a three-year project funded by Breast Cancer Now. They are exploring the cumulative effects of autism-specific barriers to healthcare in relation to cancer care, directly from Autistic people themselves. Katie Munday (me!) has been…

  • Working with healthcare providers to improve cancer and general healthcare services

    Working with healthcare providers to improve cancer and general healthcare services

    The Trans Aware Cancer Care (TACC) project engages with trans+ individuals about their healthcare experiences, particularly regarding cancer services. Key themes include distrust in providers, the impact of advocacy fatigue, and the need for personalized care. Despite challenges, positive experiences highlight the importance of respect and rapport in healthcare. The aim is to improve services…

  • UK cervical screening: What you need to know

    UK cervical screening: What you need to know

    Today, I went for a routine cervical screening. In the UK people aged 25-49 receive invitations every 3 years and people aged 50-64 receive invitations every 5 years. I was invited via letter and popped into my surgery to get it booked in. I wanted to share my experience today for people who may have not…