Naomi L. Jacobs

Coproducing solutions. Asked what needs to change. Support (resources, clear communication); a holistic approach (incl individualised care); ensure accessibility of practice (benefits everyone); expand knowledge of disabled people's experiences. Huge thanks to all today's fascinating speakers!

Creative methods. The community-based research enabled people to speak frankly about their experience of cancer services - multiple traumatic experiences of healthcare, barriers to being heard, the importance of advocacy and peer support, importance of validation. Focused on solutions.

Now Katie Munday @kmunday.bsky.social , Rosie Tansley and Lucy Fitzgerald, speaking about 'Whatever it Takes' research aiming to improve accessibility and quality of cancer services. Katie & Rosie were community researchers. Worked with disabled & autistic people's groups & cancer support groups.

Survey co-designed by lived experience group launching soon --> guidelines. Support important throughout cancer treatment regardless of diagnosis. CG encourages professionals to think about "what it takes to attend appointments" & learn about autistic ways of being - support, preferences, barriers.

In treatment, sensory sensitivities & somatic experiences involve not just the hospital environment but scans, tests, procedures, medication. Unpredictability can be high - can be improved by multi-modal information, fewer last-minute changes, explanation from professionals.

There are barriers in treatment itself (incl hospitalisation), paperwork and administration, sensory sensitivities, limited continuity of care and the need for repeated disclosure, among many other systemic barriers for autistic people receiving cancer diagnosis & care, across treatment pathways.

Dr Char Goodwin speaks next on insider research of experiences of breast cancer as an autistic person. Importance of centring autistic people's experiences in research. Significant barriers, from scheduling and navigating appointments to many traumatic experiences in healthcare for autistic people.

GR found ableism, lack of trauma-informed care. Some professionals built positive relationships w/ participants. Recommendations incl education for professionals, trauma-informed care, trans-specific clinics, improving policy w/ trans autistic people, initial discussions, modifications for access.

Autistic women are disproportionately affected by cervical cancer. GR found barriers incl physical & emotional discomfort (gender dysphoria, increased pain, environmental barriers), self-blame when screening difficult. Cisheteronormative and neuronormative assumptions. Impacted trust in health care.

GR: Barriers to screening for transmasculine people. High numbers of participants in their study were neurodivergent. Past research - autistic women less likely to attend screening. Research on intersectional barriers for trans disabled & neurodivergent people, Black trans people & people of colour.

Today's @learningmet.bsky.social seminar is on autistic people and cancer & cancer services, with @georgiarivers.bsky.social , @kmunday.bsky.social , Char Goodwin & Rosie Tansley. Dr Georgia Rivers first, on PhD research with autistic transmasculine people on experiences of cervical screening.🧵

Shared here, and I shared mobokite’s video on Instagram. Really good that the community is speaking out. Horrendous that we have to do this labour to challenge powerful scientists with an agenda.

I was asked for refutations of Uta Frith's Tes talking points, so I collected together some of the posts that have been coming up in my feeds.

And finally, that if you have critiques, you can always reach out to the researcher/project manager/event organiser with questions. I never share without a link. I will be adding a disclaimer to all my social media to make this clearer. Sharing does not mean complete endorsement etc. 3/3

with imperfect funding criteria and university department research agendas and and and…) And that people share good ideas and good work, where the share-er might not agree with every single aspect of a project or event, but still think it’s worth spreading the word. 2/3

Several times recently I’ve shared research and ideas on social media and have been ‘piled on’ (in a minor way) by people with criticisms of someone else’s projects. This is a polite reminder that nothing is perfect (because we live in an imperfect world 1/3

When Internalised Ableism Turns Sideways How masking, visibility, and energy privilege create hierarchy inside autistic spaces thru lateral ableism

Lateral ableism is harming the autistic community - my latest piece - NO PAYWALL

Frith off It was both interesting and troubling to read Uta Frith’s recent article in the TES.  because it appears to be a clear attempt by a cognitive scientist to regain control of the narrative about auti…

Chris Bailey has written this letter to the TES in response to Uta Frith’s (damaging) article about why she no longer believes autism is a spectrum. Great letter - please sign, especially (but not only) if you’re a researcher in this field. #AutRes thisdamnpassivesoul.wordpress.com/2026/03/06/f...

Aww happy birthday! So glad you enjoyed - wasn’t it a great conference? Lovely to meet you :)

Couldn't think of a more challenging, encouraging and ultimately uplifting way to spend my birthday. Excellent keynotes, workshops, plenty of food for thought. And to share it not just with my hubby but a whole roomful of my tribe was gorgeous x

Probably for the best that no one dresses up as a character from my novel The Gospel of Eve for #WorldBookDay … though I guess ordinands at colleges like Mirfield or Cuddeston might do so unconsciously… #BookChat

It was at the London College of Theology - the actually-planned lecture was disability theology and inclusion for trainee counsellors. They were wonderful!

Peak Teacher: You turn up to guest lecture with a plan & slides and it goes fine. THEN you run into a family friend who says “I’m teaching on meaning making. Come and talk about autism. In 10 mins” and for some reason you say yes. Not my finest work but I remembered the words ‘epistemic injustice’

There’s still time to sign up and join my team at this online seminar next Weds with @georgiarivers.bsky.social , @kmunday.bsky.social and two other great speakers, on their research with autistic people into experiences of cancer and cancer services.

The attempted attack on Manchester Central Mosque during Ramadan is deplorable (and took far too long to hit national news). Praying for the Muslim community there.

Okay so the code did turn out to be for a takeaway near my old house in London. Bit far for delivery. But it still made me happy for a minute :D

When you're too tired to move, much less cook, and a 25% off code for the local pizza place arrives in your text message inbox. If I hadn't already done my #40DaysofGoodShit over on the other social media, this would be it. Actually, I think I'm okay with two good things in one day

If you want to join us for our great monthly research seminars - which often have a focus on activism and research - you can follow this account or request email updates (DM me for details).

Generous Faith 2 - Turning Up the Tuned Out Is the Church going backwards? Is British society going backwards? How can Christians speak and act in response to current challenges?

I’m a joint keynote speaker for Generous Faith 2: Turning Up the Tuned Out, with Prof Anthony Reddie. Join us and many other fab contributors for the second year of this conference, calling and working for a prophetic church that listens to marginalised voices. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/generous-f...

Never change, sociologists