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Action Steps Toward Dismantling Ableism in Social Work Education
No full textDespite social work’s commitment to social justice, ableism remains rampant among social work programs. Students and faculty often have to fight in order to have their basic accommodations and access needs met, disability is frequently missing from social work education’s discussions of diversity, and it is often implied that disabled people will be our clients, while social workers themselves are non-disabled. There is a glaring gap in our profession when it comes to engaging with and supporting disabled individuals. More than that, basic access is not enough; rather, we must work towards active inclusion and affirmation in order to be truly just. Beyond this, we consider how our disabilities can also support us in bringing critical lenses, pedagogies, scholarship, and practices. We recognize shifting social work is done slowly, through measured progress. While we believe that there are deeply needed systemic changes in social work in order to align more closely with disability justice, we would also like to offer some easier changes towards disability inclusion: action steps that many programs and organizations can use to begin these changes. These opportunities include hiring and supporting disabled staff/faculty, the inclusion of crip theory and disability justice within social work curriculum, naming of/engaging disability and ableism as part of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) efforts, reframing social work’s approach to disabled people (e.g., moving towards an interactional model; more accessible conferences [including virtual options]; increasing part-time and online programs; using universal design for learning [UDL] in curriculum and syllabi design; cross movement solidarity; ensuring a wide variety of accessible/affirming field placements). We view these as first steps we can change now, while also addressing the deeper structures of ableism within our schools of social work, such as assumptions that more (publications/grants) is better, and that individual “expertise” trumps the knowledge that comes from collaborative, interdependent teams
Continuing Professional Development Preferences of Occupational Therapy Providers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania
Get PDFBackground: This study was conducted to explore the continuing professional development (CPD) preferences of occupational therapists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania for identifying and developing CPD opportunities to meet professional licensure requirements that are new to these countries.
Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study design was conducted using a 28-item electronic survey that targeted occupational therapists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative data were studied through content and thematic analysis.
Results: Seventy-eight (78) participants completed the study, and the majority were male (60.5%). Most of the participants were from Tanzania, and most participants had a diploma in occupational therapy education. The participants identified many preferred CPD topics according to their practice areas including sensory integration/processing, health promotion, depression, home modifications, stroke management, community support groups, telehealth intervention ideas, vocational rehabilitation, professional skill development, and applying evidence in practice. The most preferred method of CPD was online with the preferred time commitment of 2 hr. Quantitative results were supported by qualitative findings.
Conclusion: These results show interest in and need for CPD opportunities that match preferences of occupational therapists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, which creates opportunity to collectively support advancement of occupational therapy in East Africa
The Role of Occupational Therapy in the Recognition, Assessment, and Treatment of Presbyvestibulopathy
Get PDFSensory functions decline with age, and the likelihood of having multiple sensory impairments increases with age, potentially leading to decreased physical activity and performance, decreased social participation, poorer quality of life, and greater health care spending. Presbyvestibulopathy (PVP), a diagnosis established in 2019, is a vestibular dysfunction or loss related to the aging process characterized by mild bilateral vestibular deficits, chronic dizziness, unsteadiness, gait disturbance, and/or recurrent falls. Given the potential impact of vestibular dysfunction on occupational performance and participation in meaningful activities, occupational therapy’s (OT) role in PVP is evident; however, limited literature exists specific to OT and vestibular dysfunction. OT plays a distinct role in social participation, healthy aging, fall prevention and improving fall-related efficacy, environmental adaptation, and activity modification to improve occupational engagement and quality of life in older adults. Possible evidence-based interventions for age-related vestibular loss in the OT scope of practice could apply to older adults with PVP. This manuscript intends to use evidence relevant to OT to contribute to an understanding of PVP and the potential role of OT in recognizing, assessing, and treating clients with age-related vestibular loss
Adolescent Perceptions of Weighted Blankets and Quality of Sleep: A Mixed Method Design
Get PDFBackground: The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to describe the perceived sleep quality experience of an adolescent, without a pre-identified sleep need, when they used a weighted blanket during sleep.
Method: Adolescents (n = 5) 11 to 16 years of age completed a sleep diary for 7 days, sleeping with a self-selected weighted blanket for at least 3 days. A semi-structured individual interview was held after Day 7.
Results: The majority of the participants would like to continue using a weighted blanket for sleep. Eighty percent of the adolescents choose to sleep with a blanket at or above 12% of their body weight. Qualitative data revealed the following themes: perceptions regarding the characteristics of a weighted blanket, perceived changes in quality of sleep, and perceived changes in quantity of sleep.
Conclusion: A weighted blanket is a sleep hygiene tool that can be used safely and effectively to improve sleep quality for healthy adolescents when the weight and the size of the blanket are based on adolescent preference. Future directions include the exploration of sleep quantity and weighted blankets and the use of a weighted blanket as a sleep hygiene tool with other populations. Occupational therapists’ unique skill set addresses sleep quality, and they are ideal leaders to promote this sleep hygiene tool from a global wellness perspective
From Pre-College Grads to Undergrads: Encouraging Full-Time Enrollment after Summer Programs
Get PDFThis guest perspective argues that converting in-person summer pre-college program participants into matriculated, degree-seeking undergraduate students at that same institution is a multi-step process that involves: 1) strategic pre-college program recruitment, 2) a curated and well-rounded summer pre-college experience that is both academically rigorous and socially dynamic, and 3) continued and consistent post-program engagement. It also argues that summer pre-college programs should work intentionally with Admissions departments during pre- and post-program development to create the most effective recruiting and enrollment pipelines from pre-college to eventual matriculatio
Relational Literacies and Restorative Justice: “We’re Part of Something Bigger and as Big as the Collective”
Get PDFRestrictive instruction and punitive discipline often run parallel in schools, prompting a continued need to provide authentic learning opportunities that value children’s literacy strengths in an inclusive community. Restorative justice has been identified as a pedagogical stance in addressing harmful policies in schools, and it is most often examined in secondary contexts and specifically in relation to discipline—rarely in relation to young children’s literacies and learning. This multisite case study explored the intersections of restorative practices and literacy learning in elementary classrooms (K–3) across three schools in the same large public school district in the United States. Using relational literacies and languaging as theoretical frames, the talk, reading, and writing practices were analyzed through actions and thoughts of the teachers and students. Findings indicate that children and teachers engaged in relational literacies to build collective meaning-making that honored individual strengths and capacities in, with, and for texts and one another. The findings demonstrate a blurring of storied and lived worlds and how children work with, in, and alongside texts collaboratively. The findings indicate a need for viewing literacy and community-building practices holistically and the importance of centering how young children build meaning relationally
