Buses to feature posters backing disfigurement campaign

A new campaign which aims to ensure people with disfigurements are treated ‘fairly and equally’ is being launched at the Welsh assembly in Cardiff Bay, according to the BBC.

The campaign called Face Equality by the Changing Faces charity, aims to tackle prejudices against people with disfigurements.

As part of the campaign, 200 posters will be displayed on Cardiff buses for two weeks. The posters will feature photographs of children with different types of disfigurement and through the use of large format printing, the public are challenged “not to judge them based on their facial appearance.”

The campaign is being backed by Falklands War veteran, Simon Weston. Mr Weston is a former Welsh Guardsman who received serious burns during a bombing attack on the Sir Galahad, during the conflict in 1982.

He believes that society’s obsession with beauty makes it difficult to raise awareness of issues such as facial disfigurement and said that most people are unaware that nearly one million people in the UK had serious facial disfigurement.

“What it’s about and what I’m supporting is to say: ‘Don’t judge people on what they look like,’” he said.

Mr Weston, was awarded an OBE in the 1992 Queen’s Birthday list for his charity work, he said images of perfection in modern society formed part of the problem.

“We base out stereotypes on beauty, magazines and footballers wives. It’s rare to see hugely overweight or plain or ordinary faces on television. We see them on soaps like Coronation Street but it’s hardly the norm.”

He said the campaign was about encouraging people to give those with disfigurements “a fair crack of the whip.”