Deaf Deathwalking

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Deaf Deathwalking End-of-life doula and celebrant. Death educator for Deaf and disabled people.

23/07/2026

People have been asking what a Deathwalker does and I thought I would take the opportunity to explain here!

A Deathwalker can do many things relating to the lead-up to death or after. Here’s what I do:

1. I’m an advocate – I’ve been working as an advocate for over 20 years. I would advocate for you or your person to maker sure you got what you wanted and needed so you can focus on dying or supporting the person who is dying.
2. Some people want a deathwalker or death doula to be part of their dying journey. They want someone to be there as they die or in the lead up to their death. Sometimes they want some support or visits from a deathwalker to get advice. I can do this if this is what you want. Most people prefer not to have one there and would like their friends or family though.
3. I can support you in planning for your death, it doesn’t matter if it is soon or in 20 years, we can make some notes about what you want.
4. I can support you with writing your Advanced Care Directive (ACD) sometimes called Advanced Care Plan.
5. I can support you with funeral planning.
6. I can be your celebrant for funerals.

The list goes on! If you have a thought, let me know and I’ll tell you if I can do it or not. If I cannot, I will definitely connect you with other people who can!

24/06/2026

Today I am talking about Fire options.

Most people know what a cremation is - in Australia, you can be cremated before or after a service (or have no service at all if you want). You can also choose a witnessed cremation.

You can have a shrouded cremation, but some crematoriums might insist on a cardboard box.

The last fire option is not legal in Australia, but is an open pyre cremation, similar to those in India or one state in the USA.

As always – any questions or if you would like to use my services, contact me!

03/06/2026

Today I am talking about Water options.

There are three options, one is really hard, one is expensive and the last is not legal in Australia!

1. Aquamation - similar to cremation but apparently more environmentally friendly, although it does use a lot of water and energy.
2. Burial at sea – people often think you need to have a special relationship with the sea to be eligible, but this is not the case. But there are many steps involved. If you would like to be buried at sea, you must make this known in writing in your will and in your funeral planning documents and give this to the person organising your future funeral. You also need an expensive permit and boat people who are willing to cart a dead body quite far out into the sea according to regulations.
3. Cryomation – the process of freezing your body in liquid nitrogen and smashing the brittle remains.

As always – any questions or if you would like to use my services, contact me!

25/05/2026

Last time I talked about Earth and the different ways you can be buried. Today is about the second option for your body after you die: Air. However, none of these options are legal in Australia, but I still thought it would be an interesting topic to talk about.

This is basically putting your body on the surface of the land. There are two main ways:

1. Sky burial. This is the practice of putting your body on a mountain or land for the wind, sun and rain to do its work on your body, and to allow the animals and birds to feast on you. People would come and visit and observe the decaying process.
2. The Tower of Silence, practised by the Zoroastians – a religion in Iran – in Iran and India. This is no longer practised, but it was basically a tower where special pallbearers would arrange your body on a flat surface for the elements to do its work and the vultures too. After about a year, your bones would be moved to a hole in the middle and mixed with lime. Over time, the bones would decompose and filter through coal and sand to get into the sea.

As always – any questions or if you would like to use my services, contact me!

14/05/2026

This is a really long video – sorry everyone!

People have been asking about options that are available for your body after you die, so I thought I’d make a video. This one is focused on, as Natural Death Advocacy Centre (https://ndan.com.au/) calls it: Earth.

There are 4 main things you can do with your body when it comes to burying it in the earth:

1. Burial – the usual burying in a coffin / casket, complete with a headstone. You can have an attended or unattended burial.
2. Natural burial – burying your body in an environmentally friendly coffin or shroud. Not always in all cemeteries – but you can advocate for it! You can be buried in a conservation burial ground, a natural burial ground or even in your backyard.*
3. Vertical – buried upright!
4. Recomposition – where your body is composed in dirt. Not legal in Australia yet, sadly.

The next video will focus on the other 3 categories (air, fire and water).

*Conditions apply!

11/05/2026

You have options!

If you are using a funeral home company – you do not have to use all of their services and products. You can ask them what they offer and tell them you would like to use other services or products from elsewhere.

This includes celebrants.

You can be the celebrant for the funeral service – anyone can be! Someone you know in your family or friends who would be perfect can do it. Alternatively, there are three Deaf celebrants in Australia:

Bobbie Blackson - based in Queensland :
https://deafcelebrations.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/deafcelebrations

Amanda Barber – based in NSW :
https://www.facebook.com/signinglove/
https://www.instagram.com/signing.love/

Or me! I’m based in Melbourne, but all of us can travel – contact any of us to find out details.

Of course, you can use a hearing celebrant you are comfortable with, or the funeral home’s own celebrants. You can also ask the funeral home to make recommendations.

You also have full choice about which interpreters you want to use for your service.

As always, if you have any questions, would like to talk with me, use my services, or ask me to make a video about a specific topic, please let me know!

04/05/2026

In the last video I talked about how your body can stay at home after your death if you want or your family wanted to sit vigil with you and wash and dress you. I forgot to also mention that if your body is sent off to a funeral home, your family is also able to visit you there, and wash and dress you if they wanted to. If you want this to happen, talk to your funeral home.

In this video I will talk a bit about what your body goes into when you are being buried. A wooden coffin isn’t your only option. You can be buried in a woven coffin that has a beautiful lining. You can be buried in a cardboard box, or a wooden coffin if that’s what you want! You can also be buried in a shroud, which is a compostable linen material that your body is wrapped in.

You will need to check if the cemetery will allow you to have a natural burial in a shroud though, not all cemeteries allow this.
You can also sometimes be cremated in a shroud, but you will need to ask the funeral home – sometimes you will need to be put into a cardboard box first though.

Speaking of cremation, there is a third option: cremation, burial and aquamation. The third option is very similar to a cremation, except instead of fire, your body turns into ashes by water. This is apparently better for the environment. It takes about the same amount of time to be done. However, because it is still new, it is very expensive.

If you would like me to make a video about a specific topic, let me know! Otherwise, do contact me for a chat, or to see if I can support you and your people.

28/04/2026

Today I want to talk about your body after you die.

A lot of people imagine that when you die, you need to contact the funeral home and they will come and take your body, and then the funeral happens and your body is buried or cremated.

That does not have to be the case.

You can stay at home after you die if it is a predicted or known death. If it is a sudden death, it does have to be investigated. But after it has been investigated, you can return home.

Your body can stay at home for 1 hour to 5 days or thereabouts. There is special equipment to keep you cold and stop smells and decomposition. And you do not have to be in a coffin. You can lie there in peace.

Your family can wash you and dress you. People can come and visit you and spend time with you. This can happen immediately after you die, or just before your ceremony.

In my next video I will talk about your funeral or cremation options – there are many ways to do this.

If you are interested and want to know more, or are thinking about your own death and funeral, contact me here or at [email protected].

27/04/2026

Introducing myself!

I am a deathwalker - this means I work with people who are dying (sometimes known as a death doula): I can support you in your dying process and those around you. This also helps with planning what happens to your body after you die, whether you want your body to stay at home or go to the funeral home.

I work in death education: educating people about what is involved in death, both the dying and what happens to your body after death.

I am also a celebrant: I can help you and those around you plan and conduct your funeral or memorial.

If you are interested and would like to learn more, or use my services, get in touch!

I am based in Melbourne, but I can meet with you online if you are in a different state.

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Telephone

+61406988553

Website

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