WORKING TO MAKE THE HAIR INDUSTRY MORE ACCESSIBLE
We believe that the hair industry urgently needs to become more accessible.
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Purple reports that only about 10% of beauty businesses have a specific strategy to accommodate disabled individuals.
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In a research project we conducted, which included a focus group and a survey with over 100 responses from blind and low visio women and young girls:
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​98% said they didn't feel included by the beauty industry.
99% of respondents confirmed that the hair industry is not accessible and felt that brands do not care about their special needs.
Photographer: Felicity Ingram
Why are we needed?
A survey commissioned by the eye research charity Fight for Sight found that 4 in 10 Brits either have or know someone with significant low vision, and a third of these people have experienced mental health issues. Research shows that young people with low vision may experience emotional difficulties due to their condition. Coping with low vision can be challenging for many children and young people.
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Self-care and community building can have a tremendous positive impact on the VI community.
Support Hair & Care
to expand its reach
Are you a woman & part of the VI community?
We need you!
About us
We're driven to ensure that blind and low vision Women and Young Girls have the ability and skills to care for themselves, their hair, and the hair styling they want, to build their self-esteem, confidence and reduce isolation.
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Worldwide, 2.2 billion people are blind or have low vision.
​People who are blind or have low vision are more than twice as likely to have experienced difficulties with unhappiness or depression (RNIB, 2023).
One in every four parents of blind and low vision children and young people feel their child is unhappy because of their eye condition (Nzegwu and Dooley, 2008).
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No more bad hair days
Our hair can be a key part of how we feel about ourselves and shape our identity. And 'bad hair days' can lead to self-criticism and lower self-esteem.
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Photographer: Felicity Ingram
The NHS estimates that over 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) reports that around 60% of blind and low vision people are women.​
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How we support you?
By recognising the importance of hair care to blind and low vision people and providing the means for self-care.
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We bring blind and low vision Women and Young Girls together along with some of the UK's top hairstylists, to create a supportive environment to develop their self-care, build their self-esteem and increase their confidence through positive coaching, peer support as well as skills development through different activities, from face to face workshops, webinars, groups courses, and self-care events.
300
Since 2019, we've supported more than
300 blind and low vision Women and Young Girls.
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Over the last 4 years we've hosted or participated in up to 70 activities to support the blind and low vision community.
Our journey
In 2019, award-winning hairstylist Anna Cofone presented the idea of Hair & Care to the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), and decided it was a perfect fit for their 'Sisterhood' community - an initiative led by Jessikah Inaba to give blind and low vision teenage girls a safe place to socialise and discuss sensitive issues during a time of lockdown - the Hair & Care workshops were run as a complement to the services offered by the RSBC during the pandemic, and for 18 months we ran monthly zoom sessions to discuss all their hair needs and concerns.
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In 2021, the workshops became face-to-face and took place at Anna's studio in Hackney. Through regular monthly workshops, blind and low c vision people have come together to develop their self-care skills. ​
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In 2023 we were officially registered as a CIC and became a British Beauty Council Affiliate.
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Since our inception we have supported over 300 women and girls, bringing together a diverse group aged 12 to 70. We've been awarded 4 different grants, including the National Lottery Awards For All, and raised over £10,000 through fundraising events.
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We have developed successful partnerships with the UK's leading blind and low vision charities and organisations including RNIB, BLIND AMBITION, BLIND AID, GUIDE DOGS, LOOK UK, RETINA UK, RSBC, Linden Lodge College and VICTA.
Book Your Spot
We hold monthly sessions for Women and Young Girls who are blind or have low vision. If you want to learn about hair care and styling, boost your confidence and meet a group of amazing women, come along to our next workshops at Hackney Depot.
If you have any problems booking your spot, please contact hairandcareproject@gmail.com.
No more bad hair days
Read our service users' testimonials
"Blindness is completely different from other disabilities. The advantage of other disabilities is that they can see and they can learn whatever they want by watching films, looking at hairdressers and methods but for us none of that is possible. The only way is to learn one by one in sessions like these, and Anna has kindly provided us with this time."
Victa Service user
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Contact
By email
5 Sheep Ln, London E8 4QS
CIC number
CIC registration No. 14645047
