How representation in stock photos helps Unity Health connect with communities
Photos courtesy of Our Kids’ Health
Average Toronto residents had the opportunity to strike a pose and become models at Unity Health recently, all in the name of health and representation.
The Family Stock Photo Day run by Our Kids’ Health—a research project and social media-based platform that started at St. Michael’s Hospital—welcomed people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds to be the stars of stock photos for the project’s social media platforms.
“We organized these photoshoots because we want to better represent different communities on our social media channels,” says Michelle Au, a research and community coordinator of the Cantonese and Mandarin chapters of the platform.
Research shows when people receive clinical information from sources with similar lived experience, they are more likely to trust, accept and apply that information, she says. These stock photos will aim to help followers of Our Kids’ Health to continue seeing themselves represented on the platform, allowing it to become an even more trusted and used resource for families.
“It is good and pleasant to participate in something that delivers information that might have a positive impact on people’s health,” says Olha, one of the stock models on why she participated in the day.
“There is definitely a gap in knowledge in our Tamil community,” says Harishni, another model. She hopes her participation in the photoshoots will help Our Kids’ Health to make progress on closing that gap.
Our Kids’ Health provides free evidence-based child health information from reputable health-care providers through its multi-channel multi-lingual social media accounts. Right now there are 10 cultural chapters: Arabic, Black, Cantonese, Hispanic, Inuit, Filipino, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tamil and Ukrainian.
Content on the channels, which is accessed by followers from all over the world, addresses common questions and concerns parents might have, like understanding tantrums, tips for picky eaters, managing babies’ constipation and understanding children’s anxiety. The content is first created in English and is then culturally and linguistically adapted for each chapter.
The Family Stock Photo Day will help to ensure adaptations are appropriate visually as well.
Learn more and follow Our Kids’ Health here: https://linktr.ee/ourkidshealth.
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By: Kaitlin Jingco