inclusion and diversity

Speaking at the Citizenship ceremony for City of Holdfast Bay

January 28, 2024

Thank you to Mayor Amanda Wilson, for the incredible privilege to speak at the citizenship ceremony in Holdfast Bay welcoming 67 new Australian citizens from 26 countries. I spoke about embracing each person’s culture and celebrating our diversity. What made this event even more special was having Senator, The Honourable Penny Wong, in the audience. I was truly humbled to meet such an inspirational leader: the first Asian-born member of an Australian Cabinet, the first female openly-LGBTIQA+ Australian federal parliamentarian and federal government cabinet minister, and the first woman to serve as Leader of the Government in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. It was also wonderful to reconnect with Louise Miller-Frost MP, while congratulating the new citizens. It was heartwarming to see so much joy from the new Australian citizens from across the world – the ceremony was a reminder of the strength and beauty that comes from celebrating the diversity in this country I am so grateful to call my home

#CitizenshipCeremony #CelebratingDiversity #AustraliaIsHome #Publicspeaking

Special Needs Dentistry 2024 events and conferences

January 21, 2024

It’s important not to underestimate the difference a smile can make. We can all build a more inclusive society, one smile and one conversation at a time.

To oral healthcare professionals interested in learning more about Special Needs Dentistry, given it is January, when many people are planning out the conferences and events they will be attending, I collated a list of 2024 Special Needs Dentistry events, national and international, to support you in integrating them into your professional development this year. These are the ones to my knowledge, please feel free to let me know if there are any others I have missed and I will add them on. If you have subscribed to my email list you will have received this information in your inbox. If you are interested in receiving future email updates about Special Needs Dentistry and my mindset-somatic coaching offerings you can sign up here!

ADOHTA are holding a SA-NT CPD Dinner on Special Needs Dentistry:

Date: 16th February 2024. Location: Adelaide

ADAWA are holding a CPD event on treating people with disability (so pleased to see them use my preferred term “diverse-abilities!”)

Date: 20th July 2024 . Location: Western Australia

International Association of Disability and Oral Health 27th iADH Scientific Conference is in Seoul this year.

Date: 26th September 2024. Location: Seoul, South Korea

Special Care in Dentistry Association (SCDA) is hosting a virtual summit and a conference:

Date: September 26-28th. Location: Orlando

The Virtual Summit is on April 20th 2024

For those of you who aren’t in a position to fit in an overseas trip in September, The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons The Fine Edge of Dentistry 2024 conference in Cairns this year is featuring a number of Special Needs Dentistry related topics on medically-compromised patient management including a series of three lectures by the keynote international speaker A/Prof Nathaniel Treister on oral complications in cancer patients, a masterclass on acute and chronic management by Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen, Dr Michael Burgess and Dr Leanne Teoh, a presentation by Dr Sharonne Zaks on Working with patients impacted by Family Violence and Sexual Assault, and an update on the growing list of drugs causing MRONJ by registered pharmacist and dentist, Dr Leanne Teoh.

I’m also excited to be presenting a mindset and psychosomatic practice-based masterclass on Juggling the Priorities. It is great to see more conferences featuring non-clinical topics in their programs to support the wellbeing of clinicians. Hope to see you there, and if we haven’t met before please do come up to say hi 🙂

Reflections after her Majesty’s funeral

September 25, 2022

It was an extraordinary honour to attend Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. I found the experience deeply moving, and will carry it closely for the rest of my life.

I felt a high intensity of grief seeing her Majesty’s coffin as it entered the Abbey, mourning that her Majesty, who had been a constant presence for so many, was no longer physically here with us. There were many moments which felt like a sensory overload, from the touching choir voices, to the respectful silence in which a pin drop could be heard, the seamless execution & attention to detail with precise timing & positioning of every person – all an outpouring of deep respect to honour an incredible woman devoted to the service of others. Akin to seeing the queue of people waiting to pay their respects before the funeral, I feel emotional processing the enormous impact of her Majesty: the efforts of every person who contributed to the service, the people across the world attending, the millions of people in the streets of London, the billions of people across the world watching – all representing her Majesty’s impact on the entire world. Her life is an incredible example of how much contribution a person can have from a young age, into older age and even their last days.

I have learnt through experiences of death of my family members, friends and patients, that even though they are no longer physically here with us, they still live within us in a different form. They live on through our memories, the stories we share, and the impacts they had on our lives. Her Majesty left a deep impact on the world, and even on the day of her funeral, she continues to deepen that impact, through extending an extraordinary honour for everyday Australians to be present –which has a profound impact on each of us, but also on the Australians who felt represented by us.

Through spending time connecting with the everyday Australians (sadly Chris was unable to join us), 2 things stood out to me: we are a diverse group of people from very different walks of life, ages, and cultures. Secondly, the underlying thread binding our contributions is empowering marginalised groups in our community. Dylan & I through advocacy for people with diverseabilities (my preferred term for disability), Helen, Kim & Danny assisting trauma survivors, Shanna’s support of geographically isolated communities, Saba helping migrants & refugees, Miriam-Rose through creating opportunities for Indigenous children, & Val helping people struck by illness or danger.

One of many things that makes me proud to be Australian is our value of everyone having a fair go, meaning equal opportunity & inclusion for every person, no matter their age, race, gender, culture, or diverseability. Every person matters & holds intrinsic value as a unique human being. I believe the diversity & support of marginalised groups of our everyday Australians is a great representation of Australia’s values of equal opportunity & inclusion. To stand alongside my fellow Australians and represent the values that make me proud to be Australian, I have Her Majesty to thank for this profound experience.

Thank you your Majesty, for the honour of attending your funeral, enabling everyday Australians to be representatives of the inclusion & diversity of our wonderful home.

Thank you for the opportunity to thank our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for extending your invitation and express how much it meant to Australians that felt represented by my presence – Asian Australians, young females, Special Needs Dentistry specialists and oral healthcare professionals. It enabled discussions of equitable access to oral healthcare with our Prime Minister and avenues to action this.

Thank you your Majesty, for your dedication and being an inspiration to follow in your footsteps of contributing for many years to come.

Thank you your Majesty, for the impact you had on the world during your life, and your ongoing impact as you live on in our memories, stories, and through our lives. May you rest in peace.

Morning of the Queen’s funeral

September 19, 2022

Thank you to all who sent messages and have checked in to hear how things have been since arriving in London. Thank you for sharing your stories of what the Queen meant to you and the impact she had on your life. I feel so honoured that you have entrusted me with your stories, your heartfelt wishes and condolences. Your messages have compelled me to entrust you all with a very candid sharing of my experience in London so far. It feels daunting, because it leaves me feeling vulnerable, but I want to lead by example and encourage others to be brave and bold when it comes to sharing our true and authentic selves on social platforms – because sharing experiences is an important aspect of connecting understanding those around us, and understanding is how we build upon inclusion in our society.

I have found it to be an intensely emotional experience. As a person who tends to feel and absorb the emotions of those around me, I knew full well when I accepted this invitation that I would accepting a challenging responsibility to attend the funeral in person, but it has been more raw than I expected.

The day after we arrived, I walked alongside the queue of people waiting in line for hours to pay their respects to her Majesty with tears streaming down my face. The queue was such a strong visual representation of the impact that her Majesty had on so many lives. I looked at the faces of the people in the queue, older people who knew the Queen for so many years of their life, families with younger children, and I saw many Australians too. I could feel the deep love and respect they had for her Majesty, and could acutely feel the loss and grief they were processing. For hours afterward, I couldn’t shake a deep sense of sadness I felt that all these people couldn’t attend the funeral, and yet, I was. This further strengthened my resolve, as one of the representatives of everyday Australians attending the funeral today, to carry these heartfelt feelings with me, on behalf of all the people who cannot be there.

But there have also been lighter, more joyful moments which I will cherish – such as spending time with the other everyday Australians searching for gifts for our loved ones back home so we feel they have shared part of the experience with us, marvelling at how wonderful the weather has been during our stay, and the deep and profound conversations with the incredible Australians who have been along the journey with me –which I will share reflections on in due time.

No matter how challenging and the emotional cost of today is, I am forever grateful and humbled to be a small part of this momentous occasion and will strive to do my best to represent Australia – the country I am so proud to call home.

Invitation to attend the Queen’s Funeral

September 17, 2022

No words can explain how incredibly humbled I feel to be one of the 10 everyday Australians invited to attend her Majesty’s funeral. I’m not sure I can ever reconcile how I could have recieved this honour, but my hope is the focus is on less on me as an individual being chosen, and more of this honour belonging to all 25 specialists in Special needs dentistry in Australia. I am grateful for the opportunity this invitation brought for me to meet with our Premier and discuss importance of equitable access to oral healthcare due to its impact on general health, wellbeing and how essential it is for inclusion and participation in society – through being able to eat, speak and smile.

It has been deeply profound and moving for me to see how the presence of us ordinary Australians at her Majesty’s funeral means so much to so many people. Since the announcement I have received many messages from different people who share an aspect of their identity with me, from fellow specialists in Special needs dentistry, oral healthcare professionals, Australians with an Asian background, and young females. Their messages saying they are proud to have me there, representing people like them, just as many people with disabilities feel proud to have Dylan Alcott representing them. I feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility to do my best to be a worthy representative of our country and its diversity, and hope to make Australia proud.

Thank you to every person who has sent messages and posted – I carry all of your wishes, deep respect and condolences for her Majesty with me as I pay respect to her incredible life of service and commitment to the community.