In this special episode of Girls with Grafts, we're resharing a recent webinar hosted by Kelsey Ferrill of AboutFace Canada, who welcomed Phoenix Society's own Rachel Kudlak alongside Phyllida Swift, Charlene Pell, and Dr. Lise Deguire for an important conversation about Halloween costumes, facial differences, and the harmful stereotypes that continue to shape public perceptions of people with scars and visible differences. 🎃 Together, the panel explores why portraying scars, burns, and facial differences as frightening or villainous is more than just harmless entertainment. They discuss the real-world impact of these portrayals, the research behind appearance-based bias, and how movies, television, and Halloween costumes can reinforce harmful misconceptions about people who look different. The conversation also highlights the advocacy efforts of the Coalition for Authentic Representation of Disfigurement and Difference (C.A.R.D.D.) and Face Equality International, the importance of authentic representation in entertainment, and practical ways we can all help challenge stereotypes, spark conversations, and create a more inclusive world. 🧡 #BurnSurvivor #GirlsWithGrafts #Podcast #SurvivorPodcast #BurnSurvivorStories ⭐️ Enjoyed the show? Tell us by leaving a 5-star review and sharing on social media using #GirlswithGrafts and tagging Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors! Meet Our GuestsKelsey Ferrill is a facial difference advocate, communications professional, and Communications Officer and Program Manager at AboutFace, a Canadian nonprofit supporting people with facial differences. Born with Moebius syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes facial paralysis, Kelsey has used her lived experience to advocate for greater inclusion, understanding, and authentic representation. She holds a master’s degree in Intercultural and International Communication and has been active in the Moebius syndrome community for many years. Through her professional work, public speaking, and advocacy, Kelsey works to challenge assumptions based on appearance and create a more inclusive world for people with facial differences. Phyllida Swift is an appearance activist and CEO of Face Equality International, an NGO working to end the discrimination and indignity experienced by people with facial differences worldwide. After sustaining facial scars in a car accident in 2016, she became an advocate for changing the negative narratives surrounding scars and disfigurement. Her work focuses on improving representation, challenging stigma, and advancing face equality across media and society. In her TEDx talk, Phyllida explores the harm caused by the disproportionate portrayal of people with facial differences as villains or vulnerable characters on screen and calls for more authentic, inclusive representation. Dr. Lise Deguire is a clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and burn survivor. A graduate of Tufts University, she earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Hahnemann/Widener University. She is the author of the memoir Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience From a Burn Survivor and writes about psychological resilience for Psychology Today. Dr. Deguire has appeared on NPR, NBC, ABC, FOX, SiriusXM, and numerous podcasts, and speaks nationally on resilience, trauma, and recovery. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her husband and is the mother of two daughters. Charlene Pell is a plane crash survivor, advocate, author, and founder and executive director of Facing Forward, a nonprofit empowering people with facial disfigurement through peer support, education, and communication skills training. After sustaining burns to 64% of her body, she dedicated her work to advocacy, education, and community building. Charlene also co-founded the Coalition for Authentic Representation of Disfigurement and Difference (C.A.R.D.D.), which works to transform how people with facial differences are portrayed in media and entertainment. She holds a master’s degree in communication studies and is the author of the award-winning memoir In This Altered Body: A Survivor’s Story of Resilience and Love. Links Join the C.A.R.D.D. Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/carddcoalition Read “Scars are Not a Halloween Costume:” https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/scars-are-not-a-halloween-costume Learn more about About Face: https://aboutface.ca/ Learn more about FEI: https://faceequalityinternational.org/ Watch Lise’s TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD9KhXQOED8
