On Thursday 11th September, Greg Tucker, and Anthony Risoli from VALID’s Self Advocacy team along with Heike from Palliative Care Victoria (PCV) delivered a powerful presentation at the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference in Brisbane. The session showcased the joint initiative between PCV and VALID titled the “Let’s Talk About Death” project.
The project focused on co-designing and developing Easy Read resources to help people with intellectual disabilities understand complex topics such as grief, death, loss, and palliative care. Once the resources were completed, the team conducted information sessions in disability group homes across the region.
As part of the project, Greg Tucker created a heartfelt video sharing his personal experience of losing his dog, Gizmo. The video depicted the various stages of Gizmo’s final days, highlighting how Greg ensured his beloved pet was comfortable and surrounded by love. This video became a central part of the education sessions, offering an accessible and relatable way for people with disabilities to understand the dying process.
During the conference presentation, Greg spoke about sharing the video with residents in group homes, his involvement in the co-design process, the challenges he faced, and what he enjoyed most. He also emphasized the significance of the project and the need for accessible resources around end-of-life care.
The presentation was well-received, highlighting the importance of inclusion and accessibility in conversations about death and palliative care.