Originally published here.

A GLASGOW graphic designer who has lived with chronic illness for more than a decade is teaming up with a charity to launch its first ever online shop.

Jenny McGibbon has contributed a range of work including mugs, water bottles and aprons, to disability equality charity Scope.

She is one of five artists with disabilities supporting the project. All profits fund Scope’s vital support services for disabled people and their families.

Jenny set up chronic illness support and campaign group This Thing They Call Recovery after realising there was very little support for younger people with long-term health conditions.

“I was born with the birth defect known as gastroschisis, and as a result now also live with Short Bowel Syndrome, chronic internal bleeding, and Iron Deficiency Anaemia,” she explained.

​“I’m determined to help make sure no young person feels like they’re dealing with health issues alone.”​

Jenny’s blog is now read in more than 90 countries, has been translated into 50 languages, and has a social media following of 25,000.

“My experience of chronic illness fuels my work,” she says. “I create health content that doesn’t look like health content, using a mix of colour, illustration and hand-lettering to speak to the human side of sickness. As a graphic designer I use a mix of visuals and copy to translate how life with illness feels, particularly when it happens to you when you’re young.”

She added: “I think there needs to be much more information out there about health and ill health presented in a friendly and approachable manner. I’m committed to challenging the public perceptions of disability, sparking complex conversations and uniting sufferers and their loved ones.

Vivian Nutt, Head of Customer Proposition, Retail at Scope, said: “We’ve really had to be more creative and ingenious in our fundraising since the start of the pandemic and this is an incredibly exciting development.

“Scope puts disabled people at the heart of everything we do and, working with five superbly talented disabled artist and designers, our collaboration has produced a stunning range of unique products at shop.scope.org.uk.

“Every purchase helps fund our vital support services that are a lifeline for disabled people and helps us to campaign for a fairer society.”

You can read the complete article here.