Era Presentations Reflection
Today in my Occupational Therapy Foundations course we gave presentations for each decade from 1920s to 2010s. In these presentations we discussed trends in work, leisure, play, politics, technology, and societal perspectives. We also covered major events that impacted the way of life and activities in which people participated. For example, I discussed environmentalism and feminism in the 1970s. While it may be tricky to see the connection between these topics and occupational therapy, it is important to remember that occupational therapists work with clients on activities and occupations that are meaningful and important to them. Therefore, environmentalism and feminism were major themes of that decade that directly affected occupations throughout the country.
Throughout the era presentations, I was especially struck by the difference of being a student. The 1940s group discussed how young adults were going to college straight out of high school to avoid the draft for the war. I thought about how education is usually viewed as a privilege. However, at this time, education was not only a privilege but an escape or a lifeline even. Furthermore, throughout the presentations I enjoyed watching the gap between men and women's education close. Initially, if women were to further their education it was for a "woman's" position such as being a secretary or a nurse. One specific woman stood out to me in the presentations, and her name was Dr. Lela Llorens. Dr. Llorens was the first black woman to be awarded the Slagle Lectureship Award, and in her lecture she presented a theory of occupational therapy based on human development. This stood out to me because her vision and message seemed to align well with the Vision 2025, and I studied human development in my undergraduate education.
Finally, I was really moved by the impact that technology has had on our field. While I acknowledge that technology is useful and even essential in our daily lives, it can often feel like a major nuisance and distraction. The 2010s presentation reminded me that the accessibility of technology has given individuals with disabilities the means to communicate and to be creative. I have witnessed this first hand in my work with children who have nonverbal autism and use "talkers" or apps on their iPad to communicate. The 2010s group shared a video that was released by Apple about accessibility and a young woman in a wheel chair who was able to use technology to edit the video. I pulled this video up at home and came across another video by Apple that demonstrated the impact that technology has had in allowing a boy with nonverbal autism to communicate with his family and friends. I am amazed and inspired by the opportunity to support individuals in developing their own form of communication skills. I will leave the link to the video here for you to enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTx12y42Xv4
Throughout the era presentations, I was especially struck by the difference of being a student. The 1940s group discussed how young adults were going to college straight out of high school to avoid the draft for the war. I thought about how education is usually viewed as a privilege. However, at this time, education was not only a privilege but an escape or a lifeline even. Furthermore, throughout the presentations I enjoyed watching the gap between men and women's education close. Initially, if women were to further their education it was for a "woman's" position such as being a secretary or a nurse. One specific woman stood out to me in the presentations, and her name was Dr. Lela Llorens. Dr. Llorens was the first black woman to be awarded the Slagle Lectureship Award, and in her lecture she presented a theory of occupational therapy based on human development. This stood out to me because her vision and message seemed to align well with the Vision 2025, and I studied human development in my undergraduate education.
Finally, I was really moved by the impact that technology has had on our field. While I acknowledge that technology is useful and even essential in our daily lives, it can often feel like a major nuisance and distraction. The 2010s presentation reminded me that the accessibility of technology has given individuals with disabilities the means to communicate and to be creative. I have witnessed this first hand in my work with children who have nonverbal autism and use "talkers" or apps on their iPad to communicate. The 2010s group shared a video that was released by Apple about accessibility and a young woman in a wheel chair who was able to use technology to edit the video. I pulled this video up at home and came across another video by Apple that demonstrated the impact that technology has had in allowing a boy with nonverbal autism to communicate with his family and friends. I am amazed and inspired by the opportunity to support individuals in developing their own form of communication skills. I will leave the link to the video here for you to enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTx12y42Xv4
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