Empathy lens: Humanizing images & education for reducing stigma against people who use drugs

Using stigmatizing language and images related to substance use causes harmful stereotypes and health barriers for an already vulnerable population. It can be challenging to find images that don't perpetuate the problem. The Empathy Lens project was created to address this issue with a free collection of realistic, non-stigmatizing images. In this session, we’ll talk about the impact of stigma on people who use drugs and provide guidance on where to find and how to select accurate, non-stigmatizing information and images to use in your work.

Learning objectives:
Describe how stigma impacts people who use drugs
Explain how images can perpetuate stigma
Name 3 things to avoid when selecting a non-stigmatizing image

Meg Brunner, MLIS, is a research librarian and the Director of Information Services at the UW Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), where she specializes in the retrieval, organization, dissemination, and accessibility of information for a variety of audiences.

Erinn McGraw, BFA, is a Public Information Specialist at UW ADAI. Her work uses design, photography, videography, online training development, and information dissemination to engage the public and workforce in health topics related to substance use.