We are The LUNA Project (Summer 2022)

We are

Summer 2022

https://www.thelunaproject.org.uk/ , thelunaprojectuk@gmail.com Facebook: TheLUNAProjectUK / Twitter: @TheLUNAProjectt / Instagram: @thelunaprojectuk The Learning to Understand Needs and Abilities (LUNA) Project is a registered charity no. SC050148

“So, who is The LUNA Project?”

We are asked this often. One of the things we love about LUNA is that it is a collective, a community. It allows us to think and create and have confidence in a way we could never do as individuals. It allows us to share different knowledge and experiences that inform the way we work. Where chronic illness and disability are normally isolating, here it is a source of connection and community. But, this does mean that we are often asked, “who is The LUNA Project?”.

The answer to this question changes often and gets harder to answer each time.

In Summer 2019, we would have answered that LUNA was 3 friends at a kitchen table. Winter 2020, LUNA was a group of about 12 students (soon to be good friends) living in Glasgow and a really big whiteboard.

Now, in Summer group of young Disabled young south as South

2022, the answer has changed again. We could answer it with “a disabled folk”, or “30 volunteers”, or even “a community of 30 people from as far north as the Scottish Highlands and as far Africa”. But, none of these answers feel quite right.

This zine is our attempt at an answer which does. I asked LUNA members to share something loosely related to disability that they wanted to share. The responses are beautiful; from one page to the next, you jump from poetry to photos and from medical gaslighting to disabled joy. Due to the unpredictability of chronic illness and because life happens, not everyone from LUNA was able to share something. You can still meet them at the back of this zine, where there are wee biographies of everyone.

We hope that you enjoy flicking through the pages of this zine and getting to know us, one poem, photo, or collage at a time. We hope you see just how diverse the team's talents, interests, and experiences are. We hope you feel even just a fraction of what we feel when we are together, the laughter, solidarity, and community.

I am sure it won’t be long before the answer to the question of who we are changes, but for now, we are The LUNA Project.

Love, Ally and Team LUNA

An audio version of the zine can be accessed here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vAfESFMrSMWDafJKXaC9Z? si=981b0d8022ea45ea

Or, if you are looking for something to listen to while you flick through, why not listen (and add to) our LUNA Listen - s playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/67V6zODKBpXGUDARx30Mwo? si=ce1f38c464da446d

(organising our stream of conscious)

1. Rebels Get Results / Jessica Mulholland / Cross Stitch 2. Three unusual disability aids / Jas Taylor 3 - 4. Internalised Ableism / Daša Novysedláková 5 - 6. Films, books, and podcasts with representation we love 7. Literature Reflecting Life / Amber Daw / Blackout Poetry 8. My Books / Beth Dillon / Watercolour 9 - 10. History / Sophie Mattholie 11 - 12. For us, Disability pride is …

13. Sunflowers / Claire Robertson / Crochet 14. Flowers / Merry Wilkinson / Photos 15. Celebrating a year of Ulcerative Colitis remission with an island hopping trip! / Laura McCafferty / Photos 16. Spirituality / Mehar Singh 17.

The Bottom of My Bag / Ally Lloyd / Scanned

18. A commentary on: Invisible Disabilities in the Fashion Industry / Thapi Semenya 19 - 20. I'm Coming Out / Sian Jones 21. "Would you like this seat?"/ Katherine Hawkes 22. Sunflowers / Kirsten Lloyd / Pencil 23. Gaslight / Abbie Johnston / Digital Art 25 - 32. Meet the Team

Rebels Get Results / Jessica Mulholland / Cross Stitch "I did this cross-stitch in between appointments and worry and stress, and it helped me remember that not all negative results feel positive and not all positive results are positive/negative. Often the end of the uncertainty can be one of the scariest outcomes of a medical appointment!

It helped me find the joy and the beauty in putting lots of tiny little pieces together."

Image Description: A motivational cross stitch piece which has red, yellow, green, and black colouring. It reads “rebels get results”

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Three unusual disability aids / Jas Taylor Recently, not much has been on my mind more than disability aids! As someone who had internalised a lot of stigma surrounding aids at the start of my physical disability journey, I've had no choice but to suck it up and accept their fabulousness as my health has declined. And I'm so glad I did!

There are lots of bits and bobs that help me get through the day, but many are not the ones people tend to expect; I might use a wheelchair, a gorgeous walking stick, and all sorts of aids for my pain and seizures, but people overlook perhaps the most important! So without further ado, here’s a list of my top three unusual disability aids!

Alfredo the alpaca: I stumbled across this in a charity shop, and I'm so glad I did! Alfredo is a footstool that I can elevate my legs on. He is fluffy and very good, but his best attribute is that he doubles up as snack and med storage for throughout the day! He holds my TENS machine, little cartons of juice etc. and means that even when I can't move, I have everything I need until my carer gets home!

Chewable toothbrushes: I find getting to the bathroom really difficult, and the spoons required to endure the physical effort and sensory experience of brushing my teeth can make it really exhausting. I bought chewable toothbrushes, and they've made such a difference- now I've got the hang of them, and the satisfaction of clean teeth without having to leave my bed or wear myself out is so much better than before.

Water snakes: perhaps a little odd to some people, these have become my favourite stim by far and really help me to regulate myself when I'm overwhelmed. I've got three of the 90s nostalgia, with different sizes and colours, and some have little animals or glitter inside of them. The smell, cool sensation and texture are so calming and are such a justifiable purchase for me when I'm looking for self-care things!

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Internalised Ableism / Daša Novysedláková Ableism is a belief system which equates able-bodiedness to normalcy, and deems disability as innately negative, undesirable, and requiring amelioration (Campbell, 2009). As able-bodiedness is presumed in social and institutional practices and beliefs, this aids the construction of disability itself (Chouinard, 1997). Persons with disabilities disclose that while their disability presents certain discomfort, the majority of the impairment is external, induced through imposed beliefs (Campbell, 2009). According to Campbell (2009), the absence of collective identity among disabled people, constant exposure to microaggressions on institutional, policy and social level, as well as the pressure to emulate the norm in disability renunciation and attempts to reach able-bodiedness due to the fundamentally flawed capitalism-inspired productivity-centred framework of standards used to judge the worth of individuals, lead to the internalisation of ableism.

Even though the internalisation of ableism can be unconscious, it has tangible inter- and intra-personal implications for the individual. Internalised ableism also skews the narrative of the role of disability in our lives, and the expectations we set for ourselves (Jóhannsdóttir et al., 2022). The social narrative of disability often centres around the need to overcome it (Campbell, 2009). Subsequently, strategies available to assist with working with systems incompatible with a particular disability are used as tools to emulate that the disability no longer exists. If this goal is achieved, the disabled individuals are frequently objectified to become the source of inspiration porn – portrayal of disability as a source of inspiration to able-bodied individuals (Grue, 2016).

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Alternatively, a state of passing is reached, which is energetically taxing and leads to dissonance between personal and public aspects of the disability (Ahmed, 2017 as cited in Jóhannsdóttir et al., 2022; Campbell, 2009). However, if the disability remains to be noticeable, it is often deemed as unacceptable and undesirable, which triggers feelings of shame, which facilitate the internalisation of ableism (Jóhannsdóttir et al., 2022). Internalised ableism leads to self-blame, and negative feelings of the individuals towards themselves and others of similar disposition rather than to recognition of the oppressive impacts of ableist constructs (Rosenwasser, 2000). Internalised ableism has been linked to anxiety, depression, isolation, disempowerment, higher severity of psychiatric symptoms and lower quality of life to name a few (Jóhannsdóttir et al., 2022). While there is a push for more inclusive environments, this cannot be achieved if disabled individuals carry internalised stigma towards themselves and others with disabilities. Encouragement to revisit the judgements, expectations, but also the tools available to alleviate some of the features of the particular disability is necessary.

References: Campbell, F.K. (2009). Internalised Ableism: The Tyranny Within. In: Contours of Ableism. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230245181_2 Chouinard, V. (1997). Making space for disabling difference: Challenges ableist geographies. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space. 15, 379–387.

Grue, J. (2016). The problem with inspiration porn: A tentative definition and a provisional critique. Disability & Society, 31(6), 838-849. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2016.1205473 Jóhannsdóttir, Á., Egilson, S. Þ., & Haraldsdóttir, F. (2022). Implications of internalised ableism for the health and wellbeing of disabled young people. Sociology of Health & Illness, 44(2), 360-376. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13425 Rosenwasser, P. (2000). ‘Tool for Transformation: Cooperative Inquiry as a Process for Healing from Internalized Oppression’, Adult Education Research Conference. Available at: https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2000/ papers/77

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“Out of mind” by Sharon M Draper - Alice The NCIS universe!! There’s multiple characters with dwarfism, autistic/ND coded characters, vocal difference (actor had throat cancer), paralysis, SCI, etc. There are also multiple small roles with disabled characters played by disabled actors such as Merilee Talkington! - Verity

The theory of everything. I think it does a good job or portraying the impact of a disability but also how it doesn't define you - Georgia 5

Things the eye can’t see by Penny Joelson Amber

M in the middle. It is about autism and written by students at Limpsfeild Grange School a school for girls with autism. - Becky

The IAbled podcast! Two Disabled people represent the podcast, they have diversity within the background team and interview different disabled people - Molly Daddy look at me - super fun podcast with Rosie Jones talking about her relationships / upbringing - Amelia 6

Literature Reflecting Life / Amber Daw / Blackout Poetry Image Description: The poem reads “But what if we saw ourselves in the books we read.

Stories Shared in classrooms, with friends. Growing empathy and embracing diversity. It might just be a book but there is power and possibility in seeing a character that is just like me”. The words of this poem are fragmented. The majority of the image is black, with white windows of words.

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My Books / Beth Dillon / Watercolour Image Description: A watercolour painting of 13 book spines lined up next to each other. The books are all books written by or about disabled/chronically ill folk. The books are set against a pink background.

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History / Sophie Mattholie

The first few times you walk into a lecture theatre in your first year of university are intimidating enough. Doing this with your walking stick in hand, desperately scanning the rows of folding seats for another person who was visibly disabled, adds another dimension to this fear.

Like many History students, I have spent a significant portion of my degree so far seeking diverse histories ordinary working-class people, people of colour, women, disabled people - with mixed results. My department has decolonised the curriculum to a large extent, but it’s far from perfect. Just as I walk into lectures wondering where the disabled people are, I sift through readings and feel the pain of our absence. Disability as a whole was absent from my first term, save a brief mention of disabled beggars, and it was not until my second term that it was covered in any detail. In an optional module called ‘Empire, Welfare and Citizenship’, we learned about some of the horrendous attitudes held toward poor and disabled people in the 1800s.

These concepts of eugenics, degeneration, and destitution did not fulfil my desire to find myself in the curriculum, but rather left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

Disabled people have been around for all of history, but I struggled to find proof of that. Just as I had hunted for role models who were living their best lives with chronic illness in the present, I wanted to see that in the past, disabled people had been anything other than dead, dying, or suffering in poverty.

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While disability has frequently been linked to those things, both the past and the present show that it doesn’t have to be.

History is rich with examples of disabled people fighting back, advocating for their rights, and living well instead of just surviving. In 1297, the residents of a leper house in West Somerton, Norfolk, mutinied against the thieving abbot who was supposed to be looking after them. They killed his guard dog, destroyed parts of the building, and stole extensively (including nine swans!). Local authorities were told that around £100 of damage had been done - that’s over £85,000 today. In the Tudor period, Will Somer and Jane the Fool, two people who are believed to have had learning disabilities, lived lives of luxury in Henry VIII’s royal court, highly valued for both their humour and their directness. There were three different deaf artists who flourished in the Georgian court. And in more recent times, high-profile protest has won us rights - the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, among others.

These examples break away from the ideas of disabled people as passive, dependent on welfare, and confined to poverty. With current society becoming more accepting, I can only hope that disabled history students are able to see themselves reflected in the past more accurately, without having to hunt for it.

Disabled people are here and glorious, and we always have been.

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Coexisting with my disabilities, not doing things "in spite" of them - Amber

Realising that my disability isn't something I should be embarrassed about or need to apologise for - Abbie

Disability pride to me to is not feeling ashamed and like you must hide your disability from society - Becky Being able to talk about disability

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I think of disability pride like “Ohana” from Lilo and Stitch - where ‘ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind’ I’ve discovered that acquiring a disability can be a very socially isolating experience, so the knowledge that a community of people, experiencing similar feelings can make you feel less alone and more connected. And I like to remember that there can be no community without unity! - Jessica

Seeing fellow disabled people come together to support each other and fight injustices - Abbie

Feeling free from stigma and shame!

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Sunflowers / Claire Robertson / Crochet Image Description: A crochet brown bear wearing green dungarees and a sunflower head dress is set against a leafy background. Underneath the photo of the bear is the message “The sunflower is a globally recognised symbol for non-visible disabilities or invisible disabilities“

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Flowers / Merry Wilkinson / Photos

On my husband’s way home from work he walked past a lady cutting back her roses and she gave him this one.

The rose is saucer size and smelt divine. Such a lovely act of kindness

My favourite flowers are sunflowers, for my wedding in 2019 my Mum and I grew 15 different varieties of sunflowers. I grew some myself this year (despite the snails) and it is so joyful to watch them bloom.

Image Description: A photo of beautiful tall sunflower as it grows.

Image Description: A close up photo of a beautiful pale pink rose taken from above.

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Celebrating a year of Ulcerative Colitis remission with an island hopping trip! / Laura McCafferty / Photos Image Description: The first photo is of Laura and a friend stood on top of a hill, with blue skies and a rainbow behind them. The second photo is of the Callanish Standing Stones, with a darker sky and rainbow behind. The third photo is of Laura and her friend smiling with the sea behind them.

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Spirituality / Mehar Singh For my piece I wanted to talk about my journey coming out of a very difficult time, mentally, and finding spirituality. When you see spirituality you probably think of ‘woowoo’ stuff, psychics, fortune tellers, witchcraft etc, but it is SO much more than this (it is quite complicated but I will keep it simple). I first started digging into spirituality when I was exploring mindfulness, after CBT didn’t work for me, and I was discharged from my health psychologist due to moving home during COVID. I was desperate to not end up in the depression/anxiety hole, so I did some research. I was already familiar with the concept of the universal laws, e.g. the law of attraction and looked into working with crystals, moon cycles, tarot cards, meditation (which I am awful at!) and more. Not everything is for everybody, and as I mentioned above, it is complicated, so you have to find what works for you, it’s not necessary to do everything. Over the last few months, I started building a morning routine and incorporating reading, working with the new and full moon, candles, incense and slowly building things up.

Personally, I find it quite peaceful.

As someone who has multiple chronic illnesses, my life revolves around medicine, appointments, medical admin, taking care of myself etc, so having something that doesn’t overwhelm me, outside of this, is very nice. When I can, I try to workout as well, this includes a mixture of stretches, yoga and Pilates (I looked into different exercises and found ones that won’t hurt me so I made a workout routine out of it). The practice of reading, working out, cleaning, baking, self care, the moon, tarot, candles, incense, crystals, being grateful for things and writing out what I want to manifest, all fits into spirituality, as it’s a way to ground myself. I do it with intention and deep breathes, music and attempting to meditate (usually just closing my eyes, saying what I’m grateful for, taking a deep breathe, and opening my eyes again).

For me, I wanted to find something easy I can do during a lockdown, when I can’t travel (medically), when I’m overwhelmed, a way to start my morning out with something motivating and to focus more on the good and be grateful.

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The Bottom of My Bag / Ally Lloyd / Scanned Image Description: A black and white scanned photo of things from a bag, medication packets, worry dolls, and a little frog.

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A commentary on: Invisible Disabilities in the Fashion Industry / Thapi Semenya From a very young age, I’ve loved everything about modelling.

I would also look at how the models would walk on the runaway and would just dominate the runway and when I got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, my perspective on modelling changed in a drastic manner. I started to feel like the modelling industry was not inclusive of people with different disabilities and I can sort of remember how I let go of my dream to become a model until I started seeing that the modelling industry had taken a more inclusive approach in including people of many different body types and people living with disabilities. As I went through this article, it reminded me as to why I had decided to be a model and to be able to speak out about my disabilities. Having a disability is not easy but when we are able to see people who are just like us, it empowers a person.

This article is a great reminder of how we should not let our disabilities get in the way of achieving our dreams and that it’s okay to be different. Being different is what makes one unique and it also allows for other people living with disabilities to feel inspired.

Read the original article: Visualizing Invisible Disabilities in the Fashion Industry by Rosemary Richings. Published in The Luupe.

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I’m coming out… / Sian Jones I've got to show the world All that I want to be And all my abilities There's so much more to me ….

And I just feel so good Every time I hear

I'm coming out I want the world to know I got to let it show Bernard Edwards / Nile Rodgers (1980), sung by Diana Ross

Image description: Close up of wall hanging made in rainbow colour changing yarn, showing unevenness of stitching

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Pride month is a joy. A riot of colour and enthusiasm and hope for a brighter future. And, of course, it’s followed directly by Disability Pride Month.

For much of my adulthood, I’ve never quite known which bit of my identity to “come out” with first. And whether people were secondguessing…whispering….wondering. Online, my dis/ability is invisible – my queerness with my Zoom background not so much. In the physical world, with an unusual gait, and feminine appearance, the reverse is true. And for ages, there seemed to be very little representation of the intersection on which I find myself.

Increasingly, in subtle ways, like the lyrics above, and in not-so subtle ways through charities like ParaPride, Disabled Queer and Here and Regard this is feeling less like the case. At the start of Pride month, in Edinburgh I attended Pride for All – a delightful celebration of what it is to be disabled and queer.

I crocheted this piece to try to represent that intersection of queerness and dis/ability – close inspection reveals an imperfect symmetry in the star (just as my body is perfectly unsymmetrical) crafted in the colour changing rainbow coloured yarn.

Here’s to much more queer disabled representation in the world to come.

Image description: Wall hanging showing 12-pointed crocheted star in colour changing rainbow yarn

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"Would you like this seat?"/ Katherine Hawkes Signs for priority seating are often seen on public transport and mark seats that should be available for anyone who is less able to stand or walk to other seats. Unfortunately, it’s common for these to be taken by able-bodied people who refuse to give them to less abled individuals. Being unable to sit on public transport can have serious consequences. People with dyspraxia (a coordination disorder) are likely to fall and hurt themselves while standing on a moving bus.

People with a chronic pain condition may find standing painful. These disabilities are invisible, yet they are exactly who priority seating is designed for. But how do you notice an individual who needs your priority seat? And how do you approach the topic without causing offence? The most important thing to remember is to keep yourself safe.

Don’t give up your seat if it’s dangerous for you or your health.

However, if you’re able, we suggest three steps: be aware, be polite, and be respectful.

Be aware. Look for anyone who needs your seat. Pay particular attention to mobility aids. These can be items such as a walking cane, but they may also be another person. Someone might hold another’s arm to stabilise themselves rather than use a mobility aid on busy trains or buses. Age is another thing to be aware of. Older individuals are more likely to need priority seating. However,being younger doesn’t mean they won’t need a seat. One final thing to be aware of is their face and body language. Do they look like they are in pain or worried? Are they hunched over or hurrying to a seat before the bus moves? If you notice any of these, they may need the seat.

Be polite. Catch their attention with a “hi”, before asking “would you like this seat?”. Avoid saying things like “are you disabled?” or “you look like you need it” as they can make people feel uncomfortable.

Although, if you accidentally say these, don’t feel bad. We all make mistakes, just learn from it.

Be respectful. If they need the showing disappointment. If they the seat. Offering a stranger a However, we hope this makes you

seat, move without complaining or don’t need the seat, feel free to enjoy seat can be a scary experience. more confident in doing so.

Just remember, be aware, be polite, and be respectful.

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Sunflowers / Kirsten Lloyd / Pencil Image Description: A pencil drawing of two sunflowers which are holding hands.

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Gaslight / Abbie Johnston / Digital Art

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Image Description: An old fashioned gas lamp is the focus of the image.

Around the edge of the lamp are words, sentences, and phrases used in medical gaslighting spiralling outwards.In bold black writing the lamp and phrases are framed with the words “Dear NHS, Believe us”.

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Abbie Johnston (she/her) Hi, I’m Abbie! I’m studying Speech and Language Sciences at Newcastle University. I became interested in disability activism due to being disabled myself and joined LUNA’s Ambassadors Team to have the opportunity to educate people and reduce the stigmas surrounding disability. Outside of LUNA, I spend my time crocheting, reading and snuggling with my cats.

Ally Lloyd (she/her) Hi, I'm Ally! I am one of the co-founders and trustees of LUNA. I am about to go into my last year of a psychology degree at the University of Glasgow. I really enjoy creating things, and have enough enthusiasm to balance out a lack of natural talent. My perfect day would be collaging in the sun after a swim with an ice cream.

Amber Daw I’m Amber and I have been volunteering with The LUNA Project since January 2021. It has been a huge factor in my disability acceptance - having peers experiencing similar things is incredibly valuable. I am a massive bookworm, tea enthusiast and love dogs! I am also very passionate about disability rights and inclusive education, I hope to work in this field after finishing a degree in Education Studies.

Anna Gallagher (she/her) Hi! I'm Anna, I'm a medical student at the University of Glasgow. I am passionate about The LUNA Project because I think disability education is the best way to help people support their friends. Outside of LUNA I am a yearly volunteer in Lourdes, and I love my violin, comic books and musical theatre.

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Anthony Collins (he/him) Hi! I’m Anthony. I am at Glasgow University, studying Law and English Literature. I joined the Luna Project because I saw the brilliant things they were doing and wanted to take part, as I truly believe the work that The LUNA Project does is so important. In my free time I love comic books, writing, novels and drawing.

Becky MacGregor I'm Becky, I'm currently 18 and have just finished school. In September I am going to start training to become a paediatric nurse. I joined LUNA to help spread awareness about disability and long term health conditions.

Beth Dillon (she/her) Hi I’m Beth, one of the LUNA Project trustees and cofounders. The LUNA Project means a lot to me: growing up with a chronic health condition and disability presents challenges but strong friendships and understanding from your peers help to make things so much easier.

Claire Robertson (she/her) Hello, my name is Claire! I am 24 and currently an MSc Health Psychology at St Andrews University. I joined the LUNA Project to help raise awareness of young people with a chronic illness or a disability. I am passionate about health communication, particularly accessibility and inclusivity and I am soon to begin a PhD on the evaluation and impactfulness of health information comics which I am very excited about! When I am not studying, I enjoy playing golf, crafting and going on walks with the dogs.

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Daša Novysedláková (she/her) Hello! I am currently a student of Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. The greatest joy brings me exploring the outdoors - mountains and forests and coasts – be it through hiking, kayaking, cross country skiing, or really any means that allow me to get lost in nature (figuratively, and due to my navigational skills quite often also literally). I enjoy board games, long conversations, and rash ideas.

Ellie Brownlie (they/them) I’m Ellie, and I’m originally from Moray in the North East of Scotland. I have just graduated from the University of Glasgow with a psychology degree. I have been open to speaking about my Dyslexia and Dyspraxia since being identified, and my identities had inspired me to study Psychology. When I’m not LUNA-ing, I love scouting, hiking, and sewing

Emma Rush Emma is a youth worker for MAP, a charity in Norfolk.

She's supported young people in a variety of ways, and currently coordinates projects that work within schools.

Outside of work, she loves spending time with cats (both her own and other people's) and hunting out the best gluten and dairy free cake!

Georgia Hayward Hey I'm Georgia I have worked with young people for nearly ten years have and spent six of those working with young people who have rheumatological conditions in the NHS. I am also a volunteer counsellor for MIND working with people from all walks of life !

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Heather McCormick (she/her) Hey! I'm Heather, and I live in Glasgow. Not currently working due to illness, but I have a degree in law and a diploma in legal practice. I love reading, writing, eating cake and having cuddles with my dog, Archie. I joined LUNA to help raise awareness of chronic illnesses and the impact disability has on young people.

Heather Valentine (she/her) Hello! I’m Heather, one of The LUNA Project’s new Professional Advisors. I work for the charity Guide Dogs as the My Sighted Guide Community Development Officer for Scotland & Northern Ireland. My Sighted Guide is the service we offer to help improve the confidence and independence of people living with sight loss by matching them with a sighted volunteer who can help them achieve their goals.

Ines Alves Ines is a lecturer in Inclusive Education at the University of Glasgow. She is one of the LUNA professional advisors. She is a fount of knowledge about all things education, and the speediest writer of research proposals we know! When she is not thinking about all things inclusive education she enjoys running.

Jas Taylor (they/them) I'm Jas and I'm a queer disabled person living in Manchester. I have a Master's in Gender, Sexuality and Culture, a passion for pole dance, pottery, gigs and lady gaga, and spend a lot of time vegetating on my sofa. I am autistic, with Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Hashimoto's, C-ptsd, NEAD, and BPD. 29

Jessica Mulholland (she/her) Hello! I am a very chatty, slightly disabled junior doctor who currently works in a sexual health clinic in Glasgow. I am passionate about raising awareness, intersectional advocacy and basically just making friends wherever I go.

Fun fact: My first word was “friend”.

Reach out for anything I could assist with.. not limited to medicine with disability and chronic pain but those are the things I am most in-the-know about!

Katherine Hawkes (she/her) Hi, I’m Katherine! I joined LUNA to help raise awareness of chronic illness that can affect young people. From my own experience, I know how people can use your age to invalidate your health struggles. I love that LUNA can help those young people feel accepted. After finishing a psychology undergraduate degree, I’m looking to further train in clinical psychology and help those struggling with mental illness.

Kirsten Lloyd (she/her) Hi, my name is Kirsten. I am 19 years old and about to go into my second year of medicine at the University of Leeds. I have recently joined LUNA and am enjoying getting to know everyone. I love horses, swimming in the sea, and walks with my dogs.

Laura McCafferty (she/they) Hi, I’m Laura! I’m a third year medical student at the University of Glasgow.

The LUNA Project gives me a chance to support other young people living with disabilities by helping to create a more supportive and understanding environment. I love walking my dog and cooking

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Maria Drelciuc (she/her) Hi! I’m Maria, I'm a medical student at Uni of Glasgow. I joined LUNA in the autumn-winter of 2019 filled with enthusiasm and It’s fantastic to see how much LUNA has grown during this time and how the spirit of community and friendship is helping young people with disabilities to feel more empowered, and those without disabilities to be kinder and more compassionate. I am a hiking enthusiast and I love films and books to no end (same rule applies to dark chocolate digestives).

Meghann Paterson (she/her) I’m Meghann, I have just graduated from an English Literature and Language degree at UofG! When I am not reading, I love listening to podcasts, spending time outdoors and playing with my kitten! I joined LUNA to work with like minded people to spread awareness of chronic illness and disabilities in young people.

Mehar Singh (she/her) Hi ! I’m Mehar, 23, founder of It’s complicated blog and instagram page. I am an Afghan Sikh, from London.

Last year I graduated university and am now working on my blog alongside working with LUNA. My aim is to raise awareness for, and educate others about, life with multiple chronic illnesses as there isn’t much knowledge in the medical world around some of my conditions, which needs to change. I love spirituality, reading, baking, cooking, music, and fashion!

Merry Wilkinson Hi, my name is Merry. I recently joined the LUNA project as a Professional Advisor to support this fantastic charity as much as I can. I am a medical research scientist at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital working with young people with rheumatic disease. I play tag rugby; my favourite flowers are sunflowers and I love inventive baking and cooking.

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Ross Tanner (he/they) I’m Ross, one of the LUNA trustees/co-founders, and it’s a pleasure to be a part of the LUNA Ambassadors working group. I also love painting and drawing in my spare time

Sian Jones Hi, My name is Sian. I'm a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Education at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.

As a disabled academic with r / hemiplegia / cerebral palsy, I am really passionate about helping studentteachers to understand and explore chronic illnesses and dis/ability. The work that the LUNA project does is amazingly helpful with that! Alongside that, my research is about dis/ability representation in the toy industry.

Outside of work, I live in East Lothian with my wife and my cat and spend most of my spare time crocheting.

Sophie Mattholie (she/they) I'm Sophie (she/they), I'm 19 and I've been volunteering with LUNA since May 2021 - I love having a space to meet other disabled young people and create positive change! Outside of this, I'm currently studying a History degree at the University of York and enjoy reading, writing, and volunteering on different committees and projects

Thapi Semenya (she/her) I am a diabetes advocate who is passionate about advocacy. I have been a person living with diabetes for 16 years. I use my social media accounts to educate about my multiple chronic conditions namely Diabetes, Vitiligo and Bipolar Disorder. I am currently studying Law and i am looking to specialise in health law. I am passionate about advocating for access for the basic diabetes management needs and affordability to diabetes technologies. I started advocating in 2018 when I realised that I actually wanted to form a community and allow for a space where people living with diabetes can come together and share their hopes and struggles.

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We would love for you to stay in touch! It would be great to hear what you think about the zine, to chat about anything disability related, and to hear from anyone who wants to get involved!

If you enjoyed reading this, why not buy us a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/thelunaprojectuk Email us at thelunaprojectuk@gmail.com, check out our website at https://www.thelunaproject.org.uk/ , find us on Facebook at TheLUNAProjectUk, Twitter at @TheLUNAProjectt, Instagram: @thelunaprojectuk The Learning to Understand Needs and Abilities (LUNA) Project is a registered charity no. SC050148