Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. In Germany, about 75,000 women are diagnosed with it annually. But the earlier breast cancer is recognised, the higher a woman’s chances of surviving it.
This is the focus of ‘discovering hands’. The initiative trains blind and visually impaired women as medical tactile examiners (MTEs). These women use their extraordinary sense of touch in the context of medical diagnostics to feel the smallest changes in breast tissue. This tactile breast exam complements existing preventive offerings and enhances the quality of early-detection measures.
Because even highly qualified blind and visually impaired women still face many barriers in the job market, ‘discovering hands’ provides a solution with a double effect: better medical prevention for patients, and occupational opportunities for visually impaired women. In this way, ‘discovering hands’ combines innovation and inclusion.
At the Futurestories Foundation, we support the training of further examiners by ‘discovering hands’ – and with that, a project that strengthens women in dual respects.
