Universal Design

After numerous courses over the years, I believe I am plenty familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it gives people with disabilities the right to have equal access to and in public places. However, I never thought why can’t there be a universal design that allows everyone accessibility? Before our class a few weeks ago, I was unaware what universal design truly meant. Universal design is, “The design of products and environments to be usable by all people.” This improves access for all people, with and without disabilities.  After learning about this design, it makes me wonder why here in the US, we don’t go more toward this type of settings in our schools and businesses.  In public places where the entrance is a great big staircase, they meet ADA regulations through a ramp in the back where people who are in a wheelchair have to enter. The majority of the backs of buildings I have been have been gross and typically where the trash goes out. Are these owners implying that in the back with the trash is where people with disabilities belong? I think as a country, we should aim more towards universal designs rather then just meeting ADA standards.

Clinical Reasoning

Today in Foundations class, we started talking about clinical reasoning and the importance of it in occupational therapy. Before today’s class, I had never really thought about just how much goes into clinical reasoning, but now the process of making scientific, ethical, and artistic decisions are much clearer. To determine the scientific element, it is similar to using the scientific method like what I used for my science projects in grade school. We first have to determine what we know, then think of all of the possibilities for that client. To think of the different possibilities and outcomes for a client, OTs must think back to previous cases and academic material, such as textbooks, to help them better understand what could be effective for the client.  The questions we think to ask the client comes from careful assessments and analysis from what we as OTs know. When looking at the ethical element of clinical reasoning, we must weigh things to decide what should be done in that ethical dilemma. We must use our gut instinct to realize the urgency of the client and if it could be detrimental to his or her recovery process or overall health. How you decide what to do when you meet a challenge is determined by the artistic element of clinical reasoning.  You have to be able to read the situation and determine if humor or silliness is appropriate. There is no clear-cut answer for any of these, so to have better clinical reasoning we must embrace the gray area!

What Does "Disability" Really Mean?

After reading “What does ‘disability’ really mean?” for class last week, it got me thinking just how deteriorating that word is. The author, Max Chis, talks about the meaning of the word and how it automatically implies that a person is lesser than ‘normal’. Terms like  “Lack of,” or “not” are the literal definition of the prefix dis. Just by using the word disability already automatically puts a negative connotation on someone just because they may learn or do things differently.  As occupational therapist, we need to look at what a person can do and their strengths to be able to build and work on their weaknesses. Just because someone is different does not make them any less of a person and that should be recognized.

Resources:
Chis, M., Hoff, J., & Firn, G. (2016, December 7). What Does 'Disability' Really Mean? Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://themighty.com/2016/12/what-does-disability-really-mean/

Person First Language

Although the Person First Respectful Modernizaion Act of 2006 has been put into place nearly 10 years ago, the majority of the population here in the US has yet to recognize respectful language for everyone. When you use "Person First language", this puts the person before the disability. If I broke my arm, I wouldn't expect to be referred to as "broken arm Valerie", and a child with autism should not be referred to as the "autistic child". We should recognize individuals as just what they are- people, not their disability. I think as OTs and OT students is important for us to be examples in using Person First Language and to educate the general public on exactly what it is and how it plays an effect on our society.

Resources:
Person First Language: Guidelines. (2006, July). Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://odr.dc.gov/page/people-first-language

Health Promotion

The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 25 states, “Occupational therapy maximizes health, well-being and quality of life for all people populations and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in every day live.” I think as a future OT it is essential to be aware of the profession’s goal and do my best to try to work towards achieving that purpose. In order to achieve this goal, I think OTs needs to be more involved in community-based settings to be able to reach out to all populations and try to educate people about health. I did not realize the general lack of knowledge about health until I begin leading exercise and health promotion groups. Many people in my groups said that they couldn’t exercise because they could not afford a gym. They were baffled when I showed them different chair exercises and ways to work out in the home. This made me realize how important education in health literacy is and how much it is needed in our society.

4/5 Daily Challenge

Although this is only our second Neurological Aspects class, I am so fascinated with all of the material that has been presented to us this far. Fortunately, I have not personally known anyone with an TBI, but after the past few classes I have realized just how sudden they can drastically change a person's life. The little I do know about TBI's have been primarily about the person with the diagnoses, rather from the family members perspective. After listening to the podcast, "Help me remember", it gave me the point of view of the family's side of the TBI. For me, it was absolutely heart breaking listening to her husband and children's testimony of the everyday struggles and obstacles resulting from the brain injury. I feel like in clinical settings we often just look at the patient's everyday struggles, so hearing the other side was really sad and an eyeopener. I know there is not a cure from TBI's, but it makes me wonder what kind of therapy would an occupational therapist due with Dawn? Would we work more on improving her memory and coping skills? Or, would we work more toward setting reminders and organized calendars? It also makes me wonder what happens to people that do not have such a broad support system like Dawn does.

Resoonse to Aimee Mullins' Ted Talk

After hearing Aimee Mullins' Ted Talk today, I am honestly shocked that our society still puts such a negative emphasis on the word, 'disability'. In a country that seems to be so understanding of differences, it is baffling to me that a person that is considered to have a 'disability' can be looked down upon without knowing an individual's circumstance. Person's with disabilities are more alike then different, and I think it is important that we as OTs are advocates to let that be known. It is not fair that our society can often put people down because they are different when really they have so much potential.