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“Not a Stereotype”: A Teacher Framework for Evaluating Disability Representation in Children’s Picture Books
Get PDFResearchers and educators have explored representations of people with marginalized identities in children’s picturebooks for over 30 years. Disability has not been widely acknowledged as a marginalized identity nor explored as an aspect of diversity prevalent in classrooms. In the United States, over seven million students are identified with a disability, and most will spend the majority of their school day in general education classrooms. Like other diverse students, they may not see their identities mirrored in classroom literature. Picturebooks featuring main characters with a disability are rare, and some still foreground medical models, limiting individuals with narrow, ableist notions that focus on what a person cannot do rather than what they can. The authors describe the development and teacher validation of the Strong Stories Framework, a brief, research-based evaluation tool designed for teachers to use to select picturebooks that exemplify high-quality literature while foregrounding strengths-based depictions of disability
Art, Family, and a Calling to Occupational Therapy
Get PDFKaren Sames was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. From an early age, she was surrounded by art. An experience with occupational therapy during the third grade jumpstarted her journey connecting art to occupation. Karen believes that art is a necessary part of life and credits much of her own personal success with art to her friends and family for their inspiration and to the instructors at the Eagan Art House in Minnesota. Her piece “Cherry Blossoms,” a pastel on paper, is based on a photograph taken by her son, who is currently living in Japan, and graces the cover of the Spring 2024 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT)
Confronting Systemic Racism in Occupational Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study
Get PDFThis study aimed to examine how occupational therapists and students perceive systemic racism in occupational therapy practice and the effectiveness and impact of the delivery of a keynote address on confronting systemic racism in practice delivered to occupational therapists and students. The study aimed to help inform future efforts in creating a more diverse and inclusive profession at the practice, policy, and education level by providing input into the challenges and opportunities that occupational therapists and students face when reckoning with issues of racism in practice. A mixed methodology research design was used with Likert-style scale and open-ended questions delivered via online survey. Eighty-nine occupational therapists and students completed the online survey. Most of the respondents reported responding favorably to the keynote address and shared sentiment that it could be a difficult and uncomfortable topic, yet it was important to discuss because of its impact on the profession and the clients occupational therapists serve
A Scoping Review of Universal Design for Learning in United States Allied Health & Medical Education
Get PDFBackground: Universal design for learning (UDL) is considered best-practice for embracing inclusion for students with disabilities and there is growing evidence of its effectiveness in primary, secondary, and postsecondary education. However, little is known about if and how UDL is being implemented into United States graduate allied health and medical school curriculum as well as evidence of its benefits.
Method: We used Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework. Search engines were: PubMed, CINAHL Complete, ERIC, GoogleScholar, and Scopus. Data were analyzed by the research team using Covidence to organize articles, screen, and complete a full-text review. Data extraction was completed by identifying key themes in the manuscripts and categorizing articles accordingly.
Results: Six studies were eligible: three intervention and three descriptive articles. Findings identify a need for UDL in these programs but research regarding the effect of implementation of this framework into medical and allied health programs is lacking.
Conclusion: There is a scarcity of research on UDL in graduate education from the United States. Much of the literature found on use of UDL in medical and allied health graduate level programs is non-experimental or descriptive. Future research is recommended to examine the impact of UDL in graduate education
Intergenerational Connections: US College Students’ Attitudes and Expectations Toward Older Adults and Aging in an Online Critical Community Engagement Project
Get PDFWe present a critically focused, semester-long community engagement project entitled Intergenerational Connections as a form of critical interpersonal and family communication pedagogy (CIFCP). The project utilized Zoom to connect small groups of undergraduate students in the US enrolled in a course on relational communication with older adults in a long-term care facility to dialogue about close relationships. We were interested in how dialogue across generations maintained or altered students’ attitudes and expectations about communicating with older adults and analyzed student reflections before, during, and after the dialogues using a turning point analysis. The study was framed using Social Identity Theory (SIT) to show how young adults may label older adults as an outgroup contributing to negative stereotypes. We discuss two turning points related to Perceptions of Aging and Developmental Changes and Understanding and Expectations of Relationships and identify practical implications of the project for universities and communities
Reconnect: The Importance of Beauty within Architecture
Get PDFIn a world where secular design has become the norm, this project addresses the profound disconnect individuals experience in modern spaces. This research investigates the impact of contemporary design principles on user well-being and the built environment. It explores how secularism and modern design have contributed to this disconnect and alienation, and further how reforming a classical view and approach of architecture and design contribute to its remedy.
The integration of classical architecture not only offers an aesthetic and functional solution but also serves as a powerful response to the negative impacts of the fragmented view that has been embraced through secularism in modern design. By revisiting classical ideals of beauty, established through proportion and harmony, and by emphasizing the essential need for a holistic approach to design, we can restore a deeper connection between individuals and their physical environments. This thesis explores how the incorporation of timeless principles can transcend the limitations of secularism, promoting spaces that inspire and provide a sense of meaning and unity in a fragmented world of design
Promoting Justice for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Strategies for Advancing Anti-Oppressive Social Work Education and Practice
Get PDFThe social work profession has been instrumental in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, the lived experiences of people with IDD, particularly the systemic oppression and marginalization they encounter in all aspects of life, have not been given due importance in social work education and practice (Slayter et al., 2023). Genuine anti-oppressive practice necessitates that social workers: (1) dismantle and confront ableism, mirroring the profession’s response to other oppressive systems (e.g., racism), (2) adopt a critical disability framework that acknowledges disability as an identity, culture, and community, (3) address the intricacies of intersectionality, and (4) participate in practices that neutralize power and amplify the experiences, priorities, and rights of people with IDD (Baines, 2017). The disability justice framework and its principles (Sins Invalid, 2019) provide a potent catalyst for addressing the ongoing inequities and injustices faced by people with IDD and underscore the unique role of social work in fostering equity and justice. Through an anti-oppressive lens, the authors critically assess the alignment of social work education and practice with disability justice principles. They also outline specific strategies at micro, mezzo, and macro levels to enhance social work’s involvement with and promotion of disability justice both within and outside the classroom setting. The profession’s responsibility to respond effectively to the historical and current traumas endured by people with IDD through rights-based, trauma-informed support is emphasized
Mandatory Supporting as a Radical Ethic of Care: Supporting, Not Reporting, Black Disabled Mothers
No full textRacism and ableism are intricately linked in the United States. Since the antebellum period, disability has been weaponized against the Black population. As the overriding punitive institution of white supremacy has shifted from slavery to mass incarceration with time, the experiences of Black disabled people within this institution have changed little. Black disabled individuals are at greater risk of harm at every step of the criminal legal system. Furthermore, the prison system exacerbates and creates debilitation and disability for those who are incarcerated. The family regulation system is the adjacent punitive system to mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting Black disabled women and their families. Much like the carceral system, it investigates, monitors, and punishes Black disabled women for acting outside of white, middle-class, hetero-normative parenting styles. Instead of addressing the structural oppressions that marginalize Black disabled mothers, the family regulation system tears apart their families. The following essay addresses this undertheorized area of the family regulation system, there is currently little focus on the intersection of racism and ableism. This essay puts forth Black disabled motherhood within the framework of “disability gain” and the history of relational care, countering the white middle-class, hetero-normative kinship practices that are normalized by the family regulation system. It argues that abolition of the family regulation system is possible and promotes, in the absence of immediate abolition of family policing and broader policy changes, an individual\u27s refusal to participate in the harmful practices of mandated reporting against Black disabled mothers