To mark #WorldCancerDay we have gathered some useful resources for people with a learning disability, family members, and supporters, including some good easy read guides.
Cancer is responsible for 1 in 6 deaths worldwide, but up to 50% of all cancers can be prevented. Access to information you can understand is a major help in prevention, including understanding the importance of screening. Accessible information is also crucially important with helping people to understand treatment, and difficult issues such as end of life care.
- Macmillan and Change have produced over 50 easy read guides to cancer, including: Living a healthy life; Signs of cancer; Screening; Living with cancer; Treatment; Side effects of treatment; End of life; After someone dies.
- Books Beyond Words have a series of accessible books about cancer, including: Getting on with cancer; Looking after my breasts; Looking after my balls; When somebody dies; When mum died.
- Fair (Family Advice and Information Resource) have easy read booklets and CDs about cancer, including: A guide to examining your breasts; A guide to examining your testicles; A guide to having a smear test.
- Marie Curie have easy read booklets for people and their families who are living with terminal illness, including: Keeping healthy; Coping with bereavement; Helping with your feelings; Advice and support for carers.
- Prostate Cancer UK have an easy read guide, My prostate – What changes should I look out for?.
- Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust have easy read guides and resources about having a smear test, including posters and leaflets, and an accessible DVD.
- Public Health Wales, Cervical Screening Wales and Learning Disability Wales have produced a guide to Having a smear test and testing for a virus called HPV.
- Bowel Screening Wales have easy read resources and videos available on their website.
- Breast Test Wales can arrange special appointments for women with a learning disability to familiarise herself with the equipment, staff and surroundings prior to being screened. If you, or your supporter, would like to discuss your screening invitation, please phone your local breast screening centre who will be able to assist you.
- Velindre hospital have produced an easy read guide to going for Radiotherapy at Velindre Hospital, that will be also be useful for people having radiotherapy at other other hospitals.
- Easy Health is an excellent website with lots of easy read resources about health and well-being, including information about cancer.
- In Wales, NHS Direct now has an excellent easy read resources section that contains easy read information produced in Wales.
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