Graphic Medicine and Voices and Choices Recap

We’ve been busy at IHPP over the last few months! We presented at two conferences, The Graphic Medicine Conference in Toronto and Voices and Choices in South Burlington.

At Voices and Choices, we ran a really fun workshop called “Disability Doodles.” Here is the description:

Spend time with cartoon artist, Teppi Zuppo. Learn how self-advocates can make drawings to show doctors how they are feeling. Use shapes, colors and words to describe what is happening in your body. You do not need to know how to draw. Draw your health story and map your body. It is fun and easy.

This workshop was led by IHPP Directors, Teppi Zuppo and Kirsten Isgro, and Self-Advocates, Lisa Rudiakov and Levi Gardner. Thank you Lisa and Levi for your help!! You both are awesome!!

A group of self-advocates doodling on a life-sized “body map” during the workshop.

Our table at The Voices and Choices Conference!

We also presented a lightning talk at this year’s Graphic Medicine Conference. It was presented by several members of our team - Kirsten Murphy, Kristen Isgro, Teppi Zuppo, Kristy Trask, and Jenny Rainville.

Here is the description:

Addressing the health disparities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Vermont with Graphic Medicine:
The Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council (VTDDC) and the Green Mountain Self-Advocates (GMSA) are organizations addressing critical issues affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families/caregivers. Intellectual and developmental disabilities are those conditions that affect how the brain, spinal cord and nervous system function and can impact the trajectory of one’s physical, cognitive and/or emotional development. Vermonters with I/DD are a medically underserved population and often are at higher risk of cancer and other diseases for various reasons, as documented in a 2018 brief published by the Vermont Department of Health. In 2015, VTDCC initiated the Inclusive Healthcare Partnership Project (IHPP) to insert the medical needs of people with I/DD into state and national healthcare policy reform discussions. The Inclusive Healthcare Partnership Project is co-led by the Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council and Green Mountain Self-Advocates, with the goals of improving health literacy among adults with developmental disabilities and increasing provider confidence in delivering healthcare to this population using graphic medicine. The IHPP currently is developing graphic guides to health topics for people with I/DD on a wide range of topics such as: mental health, patient rights, long COVID and dental care. Through the use of plain language and graphic medicine, this multi-year project aims to improve the healthcare experience of Vermonters with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The panelists offer a wide range of expertise to discuss how the IHPP functions and creates health information useful to this marginalized and underserved population.

You can watch our presentation here: