Social media users have been sharing a photograph online showing female amputees and claiming that the women are U.S. veterans. This claim is false.
Examples can be seen here , here and here .
One post’s description reads: “Don’t forget about the women veterans.”
A reverse Google image search reveals articles about the origin of the photograph.
Brazilian news network G1 (part of Brazil’s Grupo Globo) reported in a February 2015 article that the photograph shows models with disabilities posing for a calendar in Brazil (here). The project aimed to raise funds for those unable to afford prosthetics and was set to launch in 2016, the article said, adding that the women featured were from different Brazilian states.
The initiative was started by Nelson Nole, General Director of Conforpes, a company that specializes in rehabilitation for amputation and physical disability ( here , www.conforpes.com.br/ ). The article said another aim of the calendar was to show that an amputation is just a detail and does not limit beauty.
Images featuring the calendar were shared on Facebook by Conforpes in 2017, one example visible here . They shared an image of the women on Dec. 3 2017 to celebrate International Day of Disabled Persons, here .
The article tells the story of some of the women who lost limbs due to accidents or birth defects.
Funweek, an Italian culture magazine, also reported on the story here , explaining that the calendar aims to show that beauty is not only based on physical appearance.
VERDICT
False. The photograph shows models posing for a fundraising calendar in Brazil.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .
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