Hi Mike, I think you have hit the nail on the head. We need to empower, not do for! Shona
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike > Sent: Tuesday, 2 March 2004 13:57 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [OTnow] Legislation and its impact on OT practice > > The Disability Discrimination Act does have some relevance for the work > of OTs in the community, but maybe not as much as you would expect or > hope. One of its weaknesses is that it doesn't allow us to compel > private landlords to give consent for a home adaptation (at least I > think not). Lack of dropped kerbs and accessible community facilities > certainly can and frequently does reduce the potential use of > wheelchairs, etc. outside of the home but things are gradually > improving. As for your questions: > > > Should Occupational Therapists empower the client by informing them of > > their civil rights? > > Absolutely, yes, within the scope of our competence. I would think that > to not do so would verge on negligence, but we should be advising the > client to seek better-qualified legal opinion. > > > Should Occupational Therapists advocate for diminished environmental > > barriers? > > Yes, but we should really be encouraging the clients to self-advocate. > We should encourage our clients, where appropriate, to make complaints > against service providers through the Act. We need to be aware of the > difference between empowerment and doing things for clients. I think > that where possible we should encourage clients or carers to make their > own complaints and give them the contact details of local disability > advocacy groups and advice agencies rather than doing the complaining > for them (national resources worth passing on include > www.adviceguide.org.uk and www.justask.org.uk). > > Cheers, > Mike > > On Friday, Feb 27, 2004, at 12:34 Europe/London, dave simpson wrote: > > > > > Hi > > I am presently investigating legislation such as the Disability > > Discrimination Act UK DDA and its relation to, impact on Occupational > > Therapy practice regarding community access as part of a University > > project. > > > > What I am trying to establish is how legislation restricts successful > > interventions for example an Occupational Therapist may prescribe a > > suitable wheelchair and even implement home adaptations so as to make > > the home wheelchair friendly but the intervention (wheelchair) will > > not be entirely successful if barriers exist in the community that > > restrict the user. > > This could also be applied to the scenario of an Occupational > > Therapist involved in the rehabilitation of a client with a head > > injury and the limitations that will hamper the rehab process when the > > aim is to return the client to employment > > Hopefully this should lead to further questions and answers: > > > > Should Occupational Therapists empower the client by informing them of > > their civil rights? > > > > Should Occupational Therapists advocate for diminished environmental > > barriers? > > > > Hope this makes sense. > > > > I would be very grateful if you could offer me any advice, opinions. > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Express yourself with cool new emoticons > > http://www.msn.co.uk/specials/myemo > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > To unsubscribe, visit: > > http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com > > > > The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > =============================================== > > > > > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com > > The OTnow Mail Archive: > www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > =============================================== _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, visit: http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com The OTnow Mail Archive: www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ==============================================
