{"id":7330,"date":"2025-09-11T14:08:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T13:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/?p=7330"},"modified":"2025-09-30T10:32:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T09:32:27","slug":"research-with-purpose-the-visible-difference-support-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/research-with-purpose-the-visible-difference-support-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"Research with purpose &#8211; the Visible Difference Support Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Living with a visible difference, such as alopecia, eczema, burns and skin conditions can affect confidence, wellbeing, and everyday experiences, from school life to social media. For many years, UWE researchers have been working with charities and people with lived experience to create resources that make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, for the first time, those resources are all brought together in one place: the Visible Difference Support Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe wanted this to be research that makes a difference. The hub is about wanting to make a positive difference to people living with visible differences &#8211; making the outputs from our research accessible to everybody.\u201d \u2013 Professor Diana Harcourt<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until now, resources for people with visible differences were scattered, failed to address today\u2019s realities such as social media and were rarely based on rigorous scientific research. The Hub changes that. It offers inclusive, modern, evidence-based and accessible guidance for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Children and young people<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adults<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parents and carers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teachers and professionals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-4.png\" alt=\"Illustration of three people with visible differences standing together by the water at sunset. One person raises their arm joyfully towards the sky, while the others stand close, smiling. The sun is setting behind mountains in the background, with rays stretching across the sky and reflections shimmering on the water.\" class=\"wp-image-7333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-4.png 900w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-4-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-4-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Bringing Research, Practice and Experience Together<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hub represents years of UWE research, shaped by collaboration with charities, healthcare professionals, and advisory groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCharities have informed it a lot, from helping to recruit volunteers, to being on advisory groups. This is our way of giving back, offering them something they can offer to the people who use their services.\u201d \u2013 Diana Harcourt<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the colours chosen (carefully selected to be inclusive and non-triggering) to the accessibility of the design, the Hub has inclusivity \u201cbaked in there from the beginning\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Visible Difference Support Hub - Interview with Dr Maia Thornton\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dU3siZXddUI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Real Impact<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Users describe the Hub as <em>inclusive, accessible, seamless, and modern<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Spotlight: The Visible Difference Parenting Toolkit<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One example of the Hub\u2019s impact is the Parenting Toolkit, designed to help parents and carers support children with visible differences. It offers guidance on building confidence, navigating conversations, and tackling challenges in everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Cover-image-edited.png\" alt=\"Cover image for the Visible Difference Parenting Toolkit. It features overlapping yellow, green, and purple circles on a dark purple background, with white text reading: \u201cThe Visible Difference Parenting Toolkit \u2013 Supporting your child with an appearance affecting condition or injury.\u201d\" class=\"wp-image-7335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Cover-image-edited.png 700w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Cover-image-edited-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Looking Ahead<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hub is just the beginning. Future developments include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adding new and translated resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Launching the <em>Loving Action<\/em> podcast series for adults with visible differences navigating relationships<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-15.png\" alt=\"Illustration of an adult and child with a visible difference walking together. The adult holds a flower-patterned umbrella, while the child rides a scooter. A winding path with a hopscotch game is visible on the ground ahead of them.\" class=\"wp-image-7337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-15.png 900w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-15-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Illustration-15-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Acknowledgements<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hub was developed with support from UWE\u2019s Impact Fund in 2024, with web development by Neil Robert Leonard and illustrations by Abbi Bayliss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s been a team effort &#8211; past and present researchers, charities, and creative collaborators have all helped shape the Hub.\u201d &#8211; Diana Harcourt<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Explore the Hub<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Visible Difference Support Hub is free, open, and designed to be shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/visibledifferencesupporthub.com\/\">Visit the Visible Difference Support Hub<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udccc <strong>RISE connection:<\/strong> This blog aligns with <em>Research with Purpose<\/em> and <em>Enriching culture, place and community<\/em> by demonstrating how UWE research is making a tangible, positive difference in people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Living with a visible difference, such as alopecia, eczema, burns and skin conditions can affect confidence, wellbeing, and everyday experiences, from school life to social media. For many years, UWE researchers have been working with charities and people with lived experience to create resources that make a difference. Now, for the first time, those resources &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/research-with-purpose-the-visible-difference-support-hub\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Research with purpose &#8211; the Visible Difference Support Hub&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":7331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":1273,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1273,127,1,4],"tags":[1097,1482,62,74,75,226,76],"class_list":["post-7330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-experiments","category-research-business-innovation","category-uncategorised","category-uwe-bristol-research","tag-car","tag-centre-for-appearance-research","tag-research","tag-uwe","tag-uwe-bristol","tag-uwe-bristol-research","tag-uwe-research"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7330"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7455,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7330\/revisions\/7455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}