What is Photovoice? Photovoice is a participatory research and critical thinking method that allows patients, clients and community members to share their experiences and collaborate for change. Using photographs can illuminate barriers to access, illustrate quality of care or influence policy and resource decision making in respectful and supportive ways. It can help unite service providers and patients through visual accounts to understand and to address health care issues as a shared endeavor. It is an innovative technique of interest to community members, graduate students, policy makers, professionals, and more.

Laura offers Photovoice workshops for educators, facilitators, service providers, researchers, development workers, and others seeking to gain conceptual and hands-on experience with this dynamic community assessment and reflection method. Workshops are tailored to meet audience needs. Participants leave ready to design and implement a project in their local context. A CD of conceptual and practical materials for applying Photovoice and managing project logistics and outreach is provided as well.

For more information, contact Laura at laura@lslorenz.com.
 

Incorporating Photovoice into Rural Health Research  - Two Workshops

• Vancouver, British Columbia (September 11th, 2009)
• Prince George, British Columbia (September 12th, 2009)

Sponsored by: BC Rural & Remote Health Research Network (BCRRHRN), British Columbia, Canada.

A one day workshop covering the foundations of photovoice, a participatory action research process in which people represent their points of view and experience using photographs and narratives, often for the purpose of defining strengths and gaps in health and healthcare as they relate to participants’ daily lives. Workshop elements include:  foundations of photovoice, and hands-on experience with photovoice steps: becoming a visual researcher, ethical considerations, taking photographs, discussing images and writing narratives, outreach, and options for analyzing images and text. Workshop will culminate in a brainstorming session on using photovoice in remote/rural/health/healthcare research.
 

University of Massachusetts Medical School, Commonwealth Medicine, Office of Long-Term Care and Support (May 12th, 2009)

A one-day workshop for LTCS staff and consultants responsible for leading five photovoice projects throughout the Commonwealth with persons living with chronic conditions and disabilities. Photovoice participants will be exploring quality of care for long-term care and supports from their perspectives. The workshop will cover the foundations of photovoice (history, theoretical/values base, ethics, practice, and logistics) and the 5 Core Consumer Outcome domains of the MA Systems Transformation Grant, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
 

Photovoice Facilitator Workshop: Support Group Leaders

Brain Injury Association of MA. (May 7th, 2007)

Laura, in collaboration with Barbara Webster and Laura Foley, led a photovoice training workshop for leaders of brain injury survivor support groups in Massachusetts. The 6-hour workshop introduced the concept and process of photovoice, shared examples of past projects, and determined a photovoice topic for the day. Participants developed hands on experience with photovoice as they took photographs in and around the workshop site, discussed them, wrote narratives, and shared with the larger group. The workshop wrapped up with discussion of ways to adapt photovoice to local brain injury support groups and an evaluation of the day. Participants left with a binder of conceptual and practical materials to refer to as they design and implement their own projects with brain injury survivors.

From September–November 2006, Barbara Webster and Laura Foley, traumatic brain injury survivors and leaders, together with Laura Lorenz co-facilitated a photovoice project with 8 members of a brain injury survivor support group in Framingham, MA. The project culminated in an exhibit of 50 photos and narratives, grouped under 9 themes, at the Annual Conference of the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts in Marlborough, MA, March 22, 2007. Outreach and other efforts continue.

Photovoice Project Poster (24"x36") - (PDF) 375 Kilobytes

For more information, contact Laura at laura@lslorenz.com