About

Ethics statement

Plain English Summary

Using your name

Thank you for being part of our history project. We could not have done it without you. Unless you tell us not to, we will include your name when we tell the story of Grace Eyre. It will mean we can thank you publicly for your help. The Oral History Society advises that we do this. It makes for a more accurate story. If you do not want us to use your name, please tell us. It is your right to decide.

Photos and Videos

We have put some old photos and videos on the website. We want lots of people to see them. Where we can, we have included people’s names and information about them. But we don’t know everyone’s name, so we cannot ask their permission.

Please contact us:

• If you recognise anyone in these photos and videos who is not named. We’d love to have people’s names, and information about them.
• If you have any worries about the use of a photo or video on the website.

Lending us material

If you lend us material – like photos or written memories – we assume that you have agreed to let us use it on this website, and other Grace Eyre websites. If not, you must tell us.

Ethics Statement – full text

In line with oral history best practice and guidance, our default position will be to name the people we interview.

This is advised by The Oral History Society:

• Naming participants enables oral historians to be more specific in their analysis regarding key contextual factors
• Even when people ask to use a pseudonym, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to guarantee full anonymity in an oral history project: ‘While a narrator may choose to have their name disassociated from any interview, or choose to utilize a pseudonym, there can be no guarantees towards absolute anonymity in the oral history process. Information provided to an oral historian is only anonymous if there is no way for anyone, at any time, to determine the narrator’s identity from it; that is, there is no identifiable information (see term below). This is a very high standard of information security that oral historians are only rarely able to offer’ (The Oral History Society)

Naming participants also enables us to publicly acknowledge and thank the person for their contribution.

Images and videos

We have drawn on Grace Eyre Foundation’s wonderful collection of videos and photographs. Where we can identify the people in these photos and videos we have tried to contact them or their relatives.

We have used some images of vintage postcards on our website. We have tried to identify copyright owners. The publishing companies who made the postcards are no longer running. If anyone believes they own the copyright then we will be happy to hear from you. We can either credit the copyright owner or remove the images.

We have used images from Photosymbols, which we are licenced to use. We have made an effort to ensure all other images used on the website are free from copyright. If we have used a particular image that you believe is copyrighted, please get in touch.

Case studies

We have written up some case studies of people who used Grace Eyre services in the past. These case studies show what life was like for some people with learning disabilities in the twentieth century. The case studies have been drawn from patient case notes. We have changed names and addresses where possible. This is to preserve people’s anonymity. We have tried to be positive, legal, and respectful in doing this. Please contact us if you have any concerns about any case study.

We have tried to make our website as accessible as we can. We have done this by:

• Writing in Plain English
• Using Easy Read pictures
• Describing pictures for visually-impaired users (these are visible to people using screen readers)
• Using subtitles in our video clips
• Making sound clips where we read out information

We hope that this makes the website easier for everyone to use.

Please see Grace Eyre’s main accessibility page if you need help changing your settings.

We do not have a calm mode on this website. If you need to, you can lower your brightness settings instead:

• On Windows computers you can click on the Start Button, then click on the Settings button. Click System, then click Display. You should be able to adjust the brightness from here. You can do this by sliding the brightness down or up.
• On Mac computers you can click on the Apple menu, then click on System Preferences. Click Displays, then click Display. You should be able to adjust the brightness from here. You can do this by sliding the brightness down or up.
• On Android phones you can go to Settings, then tap Display. If you can’t see Display, tap Device or Personal. After you have tapped Display, tap Brightness. You should be able to adjust the brightness from here. You can do this by sliding the brightness down or up.
• On Iphones you can get the Control Centre to appear by swiping up or down. If you have an Iphone 8 or earlier, you should swipe up. If you have an Iphone X or earlier, you should swipe down. You should be able to see a bar with a picture of a sun on it. You should be able to adjust the brightness from here. You can do this by sliding the brightness down or up.

Thanks to Photosymbols for their pictures.

If you’d like to get in touch, please contact us by emailing sharingourvoices@grace-eyre.org – we’d love to hear from you! We want to help people with learning disabilities share their stories.

By accessing any content on this site, you have agreed with the terms and conditions set out below. Sharing Our Voices does not make any warranty or representation as to the accuracy or fitness for purpose of any material on this website. In no event do we accept liability of any description, including liability for negligence (except for personal injury or death), for any damages or losses (including, without limitation, loss of business, revenue, profits, or consequential loss) whatsoever resulting from use of or inability to use this website right.

By sending any text, images, audio, video or other content to this website you grant to Sharing Our Voices a non‐exclusive, royalty‐free licence to publish and use that content (or any part of it, and as that content may be edited, cropped or otherwise modified by Sharing Our Voices) on this website, and on or in other Sharing Our Voices websites and publications, in any media and at any time.

Usage of Material on this Website

Please refer to Grace Eyre’s Terms and Conditions to find out more.

Use of cookies

Please refer to Grace Eyre’s Privacy and Cookies Policy to find out more.