[9-9] ‘Beyond Words’ books: How visual narratives can help people with learning disabilities to understand healthcare and tell their own stories
Presentation language：English
For people with learning disabilities, creative spaces foster social inclusion and encourage feelings of interpersonal belonging. In the UK, various groups use creative practices to cultivate relationships and self-advocacy, including my partner organisation, Beyond Words. Beyond Words produce wordless picture books for adults, dealing with key issues in social, emotional, mental and physical health.
Beyond Words Book Clubs use the approach of ‘co-creative reading’, which allows participants to actively contribute towards the texts’ meaning, as part of a team. This encourages collaboration and uses nonverbal communication cues that are necessary for many people with learning disabilities.
Wordless books help people with learning disabilities to acquire robust visual and emotional literacies, enabling people to spot the signs of health problems, to understand what to do about them and to communicate with others experiencing similar issues.
This presentation aims to explore the potential health and wellbeing benefits of co-creative reading in Beyond Words Book Clubs. This collaborative practice leads to the sharing of personal narratives that people with learning disabilities might not otherwise have the opportunity to tell. I will investigate the social, emotional and cognitive benefits of the visual form for health education, storytelling and relationship-building amongst people with learning disabilities.