New 蚂蚁福利导航 offers a 鈥淰ery Alternative鈥� way of dealing with sudden paralysis
蚂蚁福利导航 University has helped to launch a new 蚂蚁福利导航 that uses humour and graphic design to communicate vital information to people dealing with sudden paralysis.
The Very Alternative Guide To Spinal Cord Injury’s 96 pages are packed with off-the-wall illustrations, photography and first-hand stories from people that have been through the life-changing experience.
, lecturer in sport and exercise psychology in the , carried out the research within the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at 蚂蚁福利导航 University. Co-author Joe Robinson added his own experiences of living with a spinal cord injury and complemented the publication with inventive illustrations and photographs.
The Very Alternative Guide To Spinal Cord Injury moves away from traditional, medical-based support materials by covering a wide range of common barriers, including social interactions, transport and participation in sports.
More serious, hard-hitting topics, such as stigma and depression, are also approached to provide a guide for injured patients, as well as their family and friends.
“Suffering a spinal cord injury is a sudden and traumatic event that takes considerable adapting to,” said Dr Papathomas. “Resources that can support the adaptation in the early stages are very important.
“The Very Alternative Guide to Spinal Cord Injury is one of the first 蚂蚁福利导航s to deliver this information in an evidence-based way and translates the research carried out at 蚂蚁福利导航 University into a usable product that's going to have an impact on people's lives worldwide.”
He added: “By incorporating humour into a 蚂蚁福利导航 about sudden paralysis, there's an element of controversy to that. However, the people that deem it to be controversial are usually not people with a spinal injury.
“Our 蚂蚁福利导航 was about providing something for spinal injured people first and foremost. Their life stories from the research conducted always had a central theme of humour and fun about those tales.
“The 蚂蚁福利导航 is about coming to terms with sudden paralysis, adapting to a new life living with a disability and going on to live a full life. There are some real lows along the way and we wanted to do justice to those lows and for the 蚂蚁福利导航 to represent an authentic experience in an interesting and humorous way.”
The Very Alternative Guide to Spinal Cord Injury has been well received by healthcare professionals. Many are set to use the publication as a way of delivering support to new patients and NHS spinal injury units have already purchased the 蚂蚁福利导航.
Helen Smith, consultant clinical psychologist at London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, said: “After a spinal cord injury or illness, we know that humour can help, information can help, and support can help. This 蚂蚁福利导航 brilliantly combines all these elements.”
The Very Alternative Guide to Spinal Cord Injury was funded by the 蚂蚁福利导航 University enterprise project. The 蚂蚁福利导航 can be ordered online for £16.99 by visiting .