"Why would you use a card when you can explain?"

 At the OTshow, we spoke to many Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists about our work. Many had never encountered it before and lit up when they realised what we did. 

There were 2 OTs who's responses to the explanation for 'why use cards when you can speak' stuck in my mind. (Obviously the cards are useful for when speaking isn't an option, but many people use our cards when they can speak.)

They each used an example from their lives which captured the principle perfectly:

OT1: "In the car down we were talking about allergies - and how annoying it is to have to explain everything every time you go out for a meal. Only when it's disability you might have to explain even more often - so something that explains it for you makes SO much sense."

OT2: "In uni my friend had a proper Mohican haircut. Everyone he met used to ask him how he made it stand up - like every single person. For the first 2 months it was funny, but after 2 years it was just annoying. But for disability stuff it must be even more frustrating having to constantly explain the same needs."

So there you have it. Our cards provide a way to get information across to people whenever you want to - without spending your life saying the same stuff again and again.

(Note: These are paraphrased from memory so are not detailed-ly accurate, but I believe they convey the overall message)