This practice chat will briefly introduce the concepts of ableism and sanism and explore how they shape professional culture and educational practices in occupational therapy (Chacala et al., 2014; Leblanc & Kinsella, 2016). By naming these influences, we aim to surface the values that often shape curriculum design and classroom expectations.
We will then review common barriers to accessibility, including organizational, systemic, attitudinal, informational/communication, architectural/physical, and technological barriers (Ontario University’s Accessible Campus, 2017). This discussion will emphasize that barriers are rarely individual problems; instead, they are embedded within the learning environment.
Next, we will describe accessible education as an ongoing and intentional process of designing courses and teaching approaches that support learners with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and learning styles (Ontario University’s Accessible Campus, 2017). This approach shifts the focus from reactive accommodation to proactive design.
Finally, we will engage in discussion about how inaccessibility shows up in our classrooms and programs. Together, we will explore practical strategies to create learning environments where all students can participate to their fullest (American Occupational Therapy Association, n.d.).
Tessa Milman, OTD, OTR/L
Director of Student Support and Engagement, and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
Tessa Milman teaches mental health, clinical reasoning, community programming and qualitative research, utilizing team-based learning and other learner-centered pedagogies. Her courses incorporate diverse perspectives and critical theories, to support occupational therapy students to become culturally humble practitioners who care deeply about lived experiences, and embody person-centered and trauma-informed approaches. She has practiced and supervised students in pediatric and adult mental health settings.
Janet Gunter, OTD, OTR/L
Director of the Graduate Certificate Program in Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration, and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
Janet Gunter received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in occupational therapy from the University of Southern California. She has worked for 30 years as a pediatric occupational therapist, and specializes in working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, neuromotor disorders and feeding and oral-motor difficulties and their families. Dr. Gunter has taught courses and hands-on practica on the topics of sensory integration theory and intervention, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders and medical billing and documentation. She is also the director of clinical operations at Therapy West, Inc., where she oversees operations of two clinical sites and supervises both administrative and therapeutic staff.
This call will be recorded.
All are welcome.