The Unshame Pain Project aims to change stigmas about people in pain through four 3-6 minute documentary style videos:

• Pain as a social justice issue

• How to acknowledge and respond to a person in pain

• Why persistent pain debilitates: multidimensionality of pain

• How to be a pain-friendly support person and ally

The objectives are:

•Expand perspectives and supply actionable tools people can use to sensitively respond to people in pain

•Make visible the stories of people in pain, especially the underrepresented

Compelling viewers to think in new ways about the many dimensions of pain will increase compassion and change harmful attitudes about pain. The Unshame Pain videos will put real faces to pain conditions to promote understanding, spark dialogs and popularize non-shaming pain support. The videos will encompass how pain is experienced anatomically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually by featuring people with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, intersex conditions, depression and mood conditions, PTSD, neurodivergentl/atypical processing, and other chronic illnesses and/or disabilities.

The free videos will be publicized via social media, blogs, chronic illness websites, in community forums and in presentations to medical/health professionals. A 26-minute version of the video will be created to submit to film festivals. The video project is part of a broader Unshame Pain Project, including a forthcoming website (visit www.maayansimon.wordpress.com for information about the project until the official website is ready) with additional resources.

Interviewees of different racial, ethnic, economic, age, and dis/ability backgrounds, including people who are queer and people of multiple gender expressions/identities, as well as fat people/people of size are already committed. The videos are drafted and experienced advisors are at the ready. This grassroots project is created by and will be crewed by people with disabilities.

Will you help bring this vision to life? I hope your answer is a resounding "yes!"

What our grantee is saying: Your recognition of the Unshame Pain Project goes far beyond money by making a powerful statement about the importance of increasing compassion and understanding for people with chronic pain conditions. With the support of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter the Unshame Pain Project videos are on track to become a reality! Most importantly, having the funds to make these videos means that we can promote resources to Unshame Pain far and wide. Enormous thanks for your belief!