From the archive: Visible difference

'Having recovered from the shock of realising its 16 years since Nichola Rumsey and I led a special issue on visible difference, it's been interesting to reflect on what has and hasn't changed.

People who look different to 'the norm' still face a host of challenges, many relating to negative stereotypes and reactions of others. We've seen the rise of social media which can be particularly difficult, but it also brings potential to promote acceptance of diversity of appearance and reduce stigma. Whilst it's unacceptable that the entertainment industry still resorts to using scars to depict villains or outcasts, there are some positive moves, such as people with visible differences being part of popular mainstream TV programmes (e.g. Strictly Come Dancing).

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CBT and Social Interaction Skills Training dominated interventions in this field, but developments have included the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Whilst research mainly focused on adults, there is now more attention to the experiences and support needs of young people and their parents/carers, yet too many groups remain under-represented.

Sadly, one of our contributors, James Partridge, died in 2020. James made a huge difference in this field, notably through establishing Changing Faces in the UK and Face Equality International. I think James would be thrilled by progress being made, whilst reminding us there's still much to do.

Finally, that edition contained an advert for the third Appearance Matters conference. Our 10th event takes place in June 2024.'