OUR ADVOCACY WORK

Facing Forward advocates on multiple fronts, in medical settings, in public culture, and in the halls of the entertainment industry, because the challenges facing people with facial and physical differences cannot be addressed in one arena alone.

In Medicine
We build relationships with the medical community through conferences, workshops, and research presentations, ensuring that psychosocial support for people with facial differences is recognized as an essential — not optional — component of care.

In the Media
We work with journalists, producers, and broadcasters to increase public awareness and an accurate understanding of the lived experience of facial difference. We challenge stereotypes, dispel myths, and advocate for coverage that treats people with visible differences as full human beings rather than curiosities or cautionary tales.

In the Entertainment Industry
We advocate for authentic, non-stereotypical representation of people with disfigurements in film, television, and advertising. Together with Face Equality International (FEI) and C.A.R.D.D. — the Coalition for Authentic Representation of Disfigurement & Difference, we call on writers, directors, casting agents, and studio executives to discard the disfigured villain trope and tell stories that reflect the true diversity of human experience.

In Policy and Access
We fight to expand access to programs and services for people with facial and physical differences—because finding community and support should never depend on where you live or what you earn.