Vanessa had been living in a nursing home after being hospitalized after she developed a long term illness. This illness resulted in Vanessa becoming completely blind and needing to use a wheelchair for mobility. Prior to her diagnosis, Vanessa had lived independently and had also run her own hairdressing business.
These days, Ed Smith isn’t moving or talking the way he used to. The former community health worker and disc jockey now uses a wheelchair, his muscles and limbs, no longer do what he asks, and he finds it increasingly difficult to communicate his thoughts to the people around him.
Occupational Therapists play a crucial role in enabling people with a disability to identify and implement methods that support their participation in everyday life.
For contemporary Indigenous artist Jackie Saunders, the year of COVID and physical distancing has turned out to be one of her most creative and productive yet.