A call for sustainable practice in occupational therapy.

BACKGROUND: The ability of the earth to sustain health among humans and in the natural world is under threat from overpopulation, environmental degradation, and climate change. These global threats are anticipated to harm health and human occupation in many direct and indirect ways. Strategies are needed to mitigate the effects of these threats and to build individual and community capacities to foster resilience. PURPOSE: This paper links issues of sustainability with occupational therapy philosophy and discusses how employing a sustainability lens with professional reasoning can help practitioners integrate sustainability into their practice. KEY ISSUES: Human occupation is inseparable from the environments in which people live. Human occupation has caused the current environmental crisis, and targeted human action is required to safeguard future health and well-being. IMPLICATIONS: Occupational therapists have an ethical obligation to use professional reasoning strategies that, taken collectively, can help to build a sustainable and resilient future.

A survey of the assistive technology experience of older adults in Tompkins County, NY.

Purpose: To understand the assistive product (AP) related needs, unmet needs, demands and barriers of older adults (OA) this study addresses older adults in Tompkins County, NY.Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research study used the World Health Organization's rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA). A convenience sample of adults 65 or older in Tompkins County, NY. were surveyed to understand their need for AP, access to it and satisfaction with it.Results: The mean age of the 102 respondents was 73 (SD=6.91). Ninety-five % of participants reported currently using an AP. The findings reveal that while OA are using AP in their everyday lives, barriers to getting the AP that they need remain. While 49% of participants had difficulty with their cognition, the use of AP for cognitive support was only reported by 10 % of the participants. Additionally, there are many different types of AP being used by older adults. These products not only assist users with impairments included on the survey such as hearing, vision, mobility, etc. but with other concerns such as comfort, safety, and injury prevention. One limitation of our study was that we utilized a convenience snowball method to recruit participants in a local area and thus the findings cannot be generalized beyond the study.Conclusion: OA identify both the need for AP that they do not have and a variety of barriers including lack of knowledge and funding for AP that interferes with their obtaining it. Ongoing research is needed to further understand the AT related needs of this growing population as there are many different areas in rehabilitation where work is needed to increase access to AP.

Increasing awareness of options, improving funding, designing assistive products (APs) that are safe, and destigmatising the need for APs for older adults (OAs) are critical for those who work in rehabilitation.Continuing research that describes and documents the changing assistive technology needs of the OA population is critical as this group continues to grow and change.In this study, more OAs reported having cognitive disabilities than other impairments. Increasing access to APs for this group is important.

Assistive technology and specific learning disability: a case report.

Specific Learning Disability is an educational category within special education that identifies an impairment area such as reading, writing, or math despite a student's intelligence. Individualized Education Plan teams address learning disabilities with educational interventions and accommodations. One accommodation for students with a specific learning disability is assistive technology. Occupational therapists need evidence to inform decision-making regarding assistive technology tools to meet the individualized needs of students with learning disabilities. This case report describes how a school-based occupational therapist evaluated one student's assistive technology needs to accommodate her specific learning disability in reading and writing. This evaluation resulted in student-specific and evidence-based recommendations pertinent to age, need, and preferences. Reported outcomes include increased independence with accessing educational materials, increased access to age-appropriate reading material, and increased pleasure reading participation.

Parenting with a disability: exploring the satisfaction and efficacy of the PediaLift wheelchair accessible crib.

PURPOSE: Parents with disabilities face many challenges in fulfilling their daily roles. Previous literature has shown that assistive technology (AT) can be a viable solution to help an individual with a disability participate in everyday roles. Although AT can increase ability of parents with disabilities to care for their children, there are many barriers that prevent them from getting the AT that they need. Some of these barriers include a lack of training and awareness by healthcare providers regarding AT options, a lack of rehabilitation therapists' feeling they are competent to provide AT options for their clients. and funding barriers. One issue that impacts the ability to get funding for AT is the lack of research supporting the efficacy of the technology. An AT device specifically designed for parents with disabilities is an adaptive crib called PediaLift. Health insurance companies are resistant to funding the PediaLift stating that there is no evidence in the literature to support its efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we investigated the efficacy of the Pedialift crib by using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0 (QUEST 2.0) survey and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) with individuals who have already purchased and used the device. RESULTS: Findings revealed that overall users were satisfied with the device and services provided. CONCLUSION: Participants were more able to participate in the role of parenting after obtaining the Pedialift.

How college students diagnosed with anxiety disorders and/or depression use everyday technology.

Anxiety disorders and/or depression are the most frequently diagnosed mental health problems (MHP) among American college students. Everyday technology (EDT) is being used with those who have MHP to help them cope with the mental/cognitive disabilities arising from having anxiety and/or depression. Deveau investigated the types of EDT students with MHP use to manage their roles as college students. While this research indicated that individuals with MHP were open to learning about EDT they can use, the author recommended further investigation of the topic. This qualitative study further investigated what types of EDT college students use to manage their anxiety disorder and/or depression. Our research found that while college students with anxiety and depression are familiar with and willing to use EDT to help compensate for some of the issues they have resulting from their anxiety and depression, some reported that the use of EDT contributes to their problems. Implications for further investigation include continuing to examine the use of EDT amongst a larger group of college students. Future research should also investigate creating a peer run technology group, taught by interested student such as occupational therapy, psychology or computer science students to name a few, to inform students about apps to manage scheduling, routines, medication management and symptoms management. Additionally, the positive and negative aspects of social media and how to manage ones use of it use would be a relevant topic for group discussion.Implications for rehabilitationWhile most college students currently use everyday technology as a part of their lives, it has positive and negative meanings to college students who have anxiety and/or depression.Finding out what a user wants to do with technology and the meaning it has for them is a critical part of insuring the right match between a person and an assistive technology intervention.Consider a full range of no to high technology options when working with college students who experience the mental/cognitive disabilities resulting from mental health problems to identify assistive technology solutions.

Assistive technology and people: a position paper from the first global research, innovation and education on assistive technology (GREAT) summit.

Assistive technology (AT) is a powerful enabler of participation. The World Health Organization's Global Collaboration on Assistive Technology (GATE) programme is actively working towards access to assistive technology for all. Developed through collaborative work as a part of the Global Research, Innovation and Education on Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit, this position paper provides a "state of the science" view of AT users, conceptualized as "People" within the set of GATE strategic "P"s. People are at the core of policy, products, personnel and provision. AT is an interface between the person and the life they would like to lead. People's preferences, perspectives and goals are fundamental to defining and determining the success of AT. Maximizing the impact of AT in enabling participation requires an individualized and holistic understanding of the value and meaning of AT for the individual, taking a universal model perspective, focusing on the person, in context, and then considering the condition and/or the technology. This paper aims to situate and emphasize people at the centre of AT systems: we highlight personal meanings and perspectives on AT use and consider the role of advocacy, empowerment and co-design in developing and driving AT processes.

Integrating disability studies concepts into occupational therapy education using service learning.

This article describes an occupational therapy educational program's experience with service-learning courses that has fostered student learning about service to the community and disability as a multidimensional construct. Faculty-reflective perspectives about disability and ways to enhance learning about disability as a human experience are presented as an important consideration for health care education curriculum design and course development. Through review of educational evaluation described in research on service learning, the authors used a multi-method assessment matrix to capture students' perspectives on their service learning. The community project investigated accessibility issues that persons with disabilities encountered in social participation at community arts venues. Results from student surveys, interviews, focus groups, and journal entries indicated that service learning contributed to occupational therapy students' appreciation and understanding about disability as an individual, environmental, and societal construct.

Assistive technology education needs of allied health professionals in a rural state.

A nonexperimental design using a mailed questionnaire was used to answer five questions regarding allied health practitioners: What (1) present skills, (2) knowledge and (3) assistive technology (AT) competence do allied health practitioners have; what are (4) the AT skills and knowledge that allied health practitioners would like to obtain; and (5) how would these practitioners like to have AT education provided. More than two thirds of the subjects reported having nonexistent or foundational knowledge in most of the AT areas. Additionally, more than 50% of the respondents had a moderate or significant need for information in most areas of AT. No clear preferences regarding training options were revealed, other than a traditional classroom approach being the least attractive option. Most respondents are not willing to travel more than 1 hour from their home for AT education. This study revealed useful information for developing the content and format of AT education for allied health practitioners in Maine. We will expand this pilot study to investigate the AT educational needs of a wider variety of practitioners and consumers.