Era Presentation

     One thing I thought was very interesting about the Era Presentations today was to hear about how significant terror attacks have impacted the profession of occupational therapy.  So the 2000s and 2010s presentations hit on the topic of occupational therapy after the Twin Tower attack and the Boston Marathon bombing.  I knew about needing occupational therapy during and after wars, but never thought of the need for it after traumatic events.  It was very interesting to think about how occupational therapists were able to help clients with prosthetics and other disabilities from these horrific events.  It gave even more meaning to the profession and evoked more passion for reaching more people about how impactful OT is.  It is interesting to hear about the couple who were watching the Boston Marathon and both lost their left legs and how much OT helped them in the recovery process.  Even hearing that the OT's were willing to help them look for an apartment that is ADA approved and helped the female feel comfortable enough and informed enough when decided to amputate her right leg.  This shows how significant the OT profession is as a whole by not only helping with accessibility but also looking at the mental well-being of a client.  This has also helped the field of OT by educating more people on OT services and the need for them.  These events cause the OT practitioners to be more educated in treating clients in areas like new disabilities, mental health, and new ways of doing everyday tasks.  The presentations from today have also shown me how far this profession has come from not being able to work independently to now being able to own your own practice.  Something that amazes me about this profession is how much it is ahead of its time in social issues for example how women were working as OT's even before it was widely accepted for women to work.  Also, how fearless the women who were OT's early on because they worked with soldiers even while overseas at war.