Face Equality Week 2021

Image: an info graphic. It has text and an illustration. The text is white on a black square, it reads: “Although it’s important for us to educate younger generations, the burden shouldn’t be on us to be the sole educators. Parents should use the vast resources we’ve created – our social media accounts, books, articles, art, music. Please don’t set up the expectation that we will answer every question your child asks us. Maybe their question is the first we’ve had that day, but it could also be the tenth.” Below that is “Carly Findlay Australia. And @faceequalityint. The illustration is of a woman with a red face and curly dark hair, wearing a floral dress. The background is yellow and grey.

It’s #FaceEquality Week this week.

Face Equality International has been posting lots of useful information for parents who want to talk to their kids about facial difference – including the preferred language to use. Go over to their Website, Facebook page and Instagram to read, save and share posts with your friends and family, schools and workplaces. They also launched their resource hub – for parents, schools and the media, as well as to support people with facial differences.

I have contributed to their resource hub too – with some advice for parents. I have been thinking a lot about the power of social media in helping educate kids about diversity – and have started to write a longer piece on it. For now, here’s a tile with a quote and an illustration of me – by the incredible Phyllida Swift.

I recommend you also follow people with facial differences. Go to Instagram and search the following people: @jonolanc, @adam_pearson_tv, @arielhenley, @melissablake81, @chizzyfrancess, @iomikoejohnson, @crystaltheactress, @tofacetheworld, @thetravelin_chick and @bethbradfield_ are just a few amazing accounts.

Here’s Face Equality’s website.

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