Face Blind UK was set up in 2014 as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is run by people with first hand experience of living with prosopagnosia.
Objects of the Organisation
The objects of this Community Interest Company are – “to carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular to work across the UK to raise awareness, recognition and understanding of face blindness (prosopagnosia), and to provide services to people who have face blindness, including information, networking and support.”
Aims and Activities
Raising Awareness
Rather like dyslexia some 40 years ago, as a neurological disorder, prosopagnosia is a condition that it’s difficult to explain. However, when others understand what it’s all about, it can make all the difference. There’s a long journey ahead, but we’ve made a start with media interviews, talks and via social media (Twitter @faceblinduk).
Members using badges and alert cards, or simply making other people aware of the condition are all helping to raise awareness in the community at large.
Providing Information
The web provides the simplest and quickest way of disseminating information. The Face Blind UK website is a developing resources which aims to cover a wide range of information, contacts and resources.
Face Blind UK has also produced a series of leaflets for friends, family, colleagues, employers and professionals working in different fields, to help them to understand the difficulties people with face blindness face and provide effective support. These can be downloaded from the website section on Awareness of Face blindness.
Creating Networks and Support Services
Face Blind UK has a growing membership and is guided by its members as to the type of services that are most needed and the message. The organisation aims to hold an Open Meeting once a year to enable people to meet together, but consults on a regular basis with the whole membership via email.
Membership
Membership of the organisation is free. Currently 90% of the organisation’s membership has prosopagnosia, but membership is also open to those who are working in the field (such as researchers and students) and to those interested in offering insights or support (from authors to teachers).
While our work focusses on the UK we also have members from across Europe, in North and South America and as far away as Australia, who are interested in our work and developments in the field.
If you’d like to become a member or just want to know more then please fill out the contact form.
Vision and Values
The organisation’s approach to its work is laid out in its Vision and Values Statement.
