OT 825 The Lived Experience of Disability
Calendar Description
In this fieldwork course, pairs of first year students are matched with a mentor, an individual
from the Kingston community who lives with a disability or health challenge, for a series of
visits. The goal of this unique learning relationship is to improve students’ understanding of
disability and to facilitate the embracing of the concept of client-centred practice whereby
clients’ life experiences are acknowledged and they become partners in the occupational
therapy process. This course is planned and implemented with the assistance of an Advisory
Committee, consisting of three individuals who are longtime mentors in the course, the
course coordinator and instructor.
Course Objectives: By the end of this course the student will:
1. develop an awareness and appreciation of disability/health challenges as lived by a
person and his/her family.
2. appreciate the issues relevant to individuals living with a disability.
3. have self knowledge relating to attitudes, assumptions and feelings toward people with
disabilities.
4. empathize with his/her mentor to create a foundation for client-centred practice.
5. develop an ability for self-reflection and journaling as learning techniques.
6. share perceptions with student colleagues and instructor, supporting collaborative
relationships.
CAOT Profile of Occupational Therapy Practice in Canada (2007):
Communicator role:
E.2.1 Engage in effective dialogue.
E.2.1.1 Demonstrate active listening.
E.2.1.2 Deliver information in a respectful, thoughtful manner.
E.2.1.3 Use plain language that is understandable.
E.2.1.4 Employ approaches which encourage participation in decision-making.
E.2.3 Support diversity in communication.
E.2.3.1 Demonstrate sensitivity to client issues related to diversity and difference.
E2.3.2 Enable parties to openly communicate and consider other opinions.
Collaborator role:
E.3.1 Work effectively in interprofessional and intraprofessional teams.
E.3.1.2 Demonstrate a respectful attitude towards team members.
E.3.1.4 Support positive team dynamics.
E.3.1.7 Respect team ethics including confidentiality, resource allocation & professionalism.
E.3.2 Effectively work with the team to manage and resolve conflict.
E.3.2.1 Respect differences, misunderstandings, and limitations among team members.
E.3.2.2 Recognize own differences, misunderstandings, and limitations that may contribute
to team tensions.
September 2011
E.3.2.3 Manage differences and conflicts to ensure an ongoing team focus on the client’s
values, goals, and objectives.
E.3.2.4 Negotiate to resolve conflicts among team members.
E.3.2.6 Chair or participate effectively in team meetings.
Professional role:
E.7.1 Demonstrate ethical practice.
E.7.1.1 Demonstrate appropriate professional behaviours, including honesty, integrity,
commitment, compassion, respect, and altruism.
Course Content:
 The course builds on the student-mentor visits, which take place in a variety of settings
in the community.
 Weekly tutorials provide students with the opportunity to share their observations and
reflections of visits, listen to diverse mentor stories and begin to develop collaborative
relationships with their student colleagues and instructor.
 Journals include descriptions of direct contact with mentors, feelings and interpretations
of the issues that arise from mentor interactions, personal reflections of assumptions and
attitudes, discussions shared in tutorials, and information about issues that the student
sees as relevant to this learning.
 Tutorials stimulate discussion around a variety of issues and may include professional
boundaries, confidentiality, ethical situations, accessibility, the health care system,
stereotypes and advocacy.
 Students will be expected to share their perceptions of first person resources from the
textbook and reserved readings through tutorial discussions and journal entries.
Textbook and Resources:
Crocker, L. & Johnson, B. Privileged Presence: Personal stories of connections in health
care. Bull Publishing, 2006.
A number of resources, stories from the first person perspective about living life with a
disability/health challenge, are available from Bracken Library Reserve Desk during this
experiential learning course. They include books, films and articles produced by or about
individuals with disabilities, some authored by current or previous volunteers in this course.
Student Assessment:
Using the Competency Based Fieldwork Evaluation for Occupational Therapists (CBFEOT), students develop and address two learning objectives from the competency areas of 4)
Professional Interactions and Responsibility and/or 5) Communication. Student assessment
includes feedback from their mentor and instructor regarding the mentor-student meetings,
journal reflections, resource reviews and tutorial participation as well as self-evaluation of
learning objectives. As with all fieldwork courses, students are graded on a pass/fail basis.
Tutorial Times and Location:
Students are divided into small groups of 10-12 for tutorials, based on the learning teams
that are formed at the beginning of the program. Students will participate in this 6 week
course in one of two time frames: Session 1 in September - October or Session 2 in October
September 2011
– November (see website for specific dates). Tutorial times: 1 ½ hours in one of three time
slots which will be assigned according to your learning team: Tuesday, Wednesday or
Thursday from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in SRT 119 (main floor conference room off foyer).
Please note that the first class will be an orientation to the course and a journaling workshop
for the whole class. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory for this fieldwork course.
Orientation Class: Thursday, September 15, 2011 in Botterell 147 from 2:30-5:30 p.m.
References:
Anstey, S., Hunter, H., Morgan, B., O’Riordan, A., Paterson, M. & Docherty, D. Volunteers
as partners: fostering client-centred care, International Journal of Volunteer
Administration, 26 (1): 2009.
Jamieson, M., Krupa, T., O’Riordan, A., O’Connor, D., Paterson, M., Ball, C., Wilcox, S.
Developing empathy as a foundation of client-centred practice: evaluation of a university
curriculum initiative. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(2): 76-85. April 2006
O’Riordan, A., Jamieson, M., O’Connor, D., Paterson, M., Krupa, T., Wilcox, S.
Innovations in curriculum – a community partnership – what do clients have to teach us?
Queen’s University Health Sciences Journal, 5(2): 26-28, 2001.
Paterson, M., O’Riordan, A., Jamieson, M., O’Connor, D., Krupa, T., Wilcox, S.
Community partnership project: curriculum innovation in an occupational therapy
undergraduate program Education Through Partnership, 4(2): 7-15, 2000.
Queen’s Policy Concerning Students with Disabilities [Approved by Senate, November
21, 1996]
Queen’s University is committed to facilitating the integration of students with disabilities
into the University community. While all students must satisfy the essential requirements
for courses and programs, the administration, faculty, staff, and students at Queen’s are
expected to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities. Reasonable
accommodation may require members of the University community to exercise creativity
and flexibility in responding to the needs of students with disabilities while maintaining
academic standards. This policy acknowledges that fundamental to the academic and
personal success of students is their responsibility both to demonstrate self-reliance and to
identify needs requiring accommodation.
(Source: http : //www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/disablty.html)
Please be informed that the university welcomes feedback on accessibility. Feedback
about accessibility related to any element of this course can be provided directly to the
Course Coordinator.
Anne O’Riordan, Course Coordinator & Instructor
Catherine Nicol, Instructor
September 2011