About Us
Creating tools to help you communicate about your disabilities, symptoms, and needs.
All Stickman Communications products feature the work of stickman cartoonist Hannah Ensor.
​
Hannah’s unique approach to communicating about disability and medical conditions has grown from personal experience and the situations she has encountered. To get every product ‘right’, Stickman Communications holds PIF TICK information quality mark, and Hannah works closely with individuals and communities affected by those conditions which also contributes to the success of these relatable, light-hearted yet accurate communication tools.​
​
Our Keyring Cards were shortlisted for the Blackwood Accessible Design awards in 2022/2023.
The PIF TICK, run by the patient information forum, is the only assessed quality mark for print and online trusted health information in Europe. To gain the PIF TICK members must show they meet 10 key steps, including that users are involved in the production of health information, it is evidence-based, and it is easy to use and understand. (You can read more about these steps on the PIF TICK website ) Stickman Communications Ltd received its accreditation in June 2021. What does this mean in practice? It means we have an effective system for ensuring that the information we produce is evidence based, and meets the needs of the relevant community. Our long standing ethos of ensuring we listen to patients and take on board their lived experience as well as medical information is now set out in clear processes. And as a result we are already seeing improvements in some of our products. Everything which we put through this process will get the TICK mark, so you will see more and more of our products with the green tick - and everywhere you see it you will know the information is up to date and accurate. Yes, it's been a lot of work, and will be a lot of work to maintain it, but we absolutely believe it will be worth it.
Our Story
Stickman Communications is a tiny company run by me (Hannah Ensor) and a PA. It started out as not-a-business-at-all - just me creating a few cards to help people understand my disabling hypermobility and PoTS without me constantly having to explain and use up my precious energy.
​
Although I graduated with a BSC Hons Environmental Health, and worked in that field for a few years, it soon became clear I wasn't going to be well enough to work in any conventional setting, and I was medically retired in my late 20's. As I shared my work with other people with similar conditions, I found that other people wanted stickman cards too - and so it grew into a business and a new career.
​
Everything we sell is created by working with people who live with the relevant symptom/condition/need, to ensure it accurately reflects reality - and is understandable to the uninitiated. The stickmen are also part of helping people to understand the point - conveying the emotion or need in a way that takes our differences from 'distant, medical, incomprehensible' - to 'a human being thing'.
​
We now have over 200 cards, badges, wristbands communicating about life with disabilities - all available here, in our online shop.
​
I regularly share experiences, practical tips, and things I've learned on social media, and on my blog (my old blog is here: https://stickmancommunications.blogspot.com/
but I'll be writing new ones on the blog on this website - and updating old ones that I particularly like and bringing them over here too. )
​
In 2017 and 2018 I was on the Shaw Trust's list of the top 100 most influential people with disabilities, and our keyring cards were shortlisted for the Blackwood Design awards in 2022/2023.
I do talks on:
-
Communicating about hidden disabilities (for patients),
-
Understanding Disability - and communicating about it (for health and social care professionals)
-
Hypermobility and pots diagnosis and management.
-
Disability - a different normal. (an entertaining look at some of my experiences of disability, sharing things I've learned along the way.)
​
We try to respond to queries within a couple of days, but living with complex health issues, it can sometimes take longer. We take requests for topics for cards to cover, but please be aware that we can only work on them as health allows - so our list of products-in-waiting is rather long!
​
We are based in Oxfordshire UK, and ship internationally. (But be aware that international orders can take quite a while due to customs etc)
​
​So, that's us!