Student Blog
Yao

The Influence of Language ⟩
November 8, 2010, by Yao

Diversity What are OS/OT?

Language is more than just what you say and it is important that we enable rather limit in our occupational therapy dealings.

I recently attended a charity event that was geared towards promoting awareness of an issue that has affected countless women across the globe, sex trafficking. Attending this event re-enforced the idea that language is a powerful form of expression and can truly affect the way that one presents oneself as well affect how people view and treat others. The event itself although well intentioned employed a host that seemed to be ill informed about how to properly address the issue of sex trafficking and those that have survived it and are affected by it. In my opinion, the host should have been using language that empowered the women affected and placed them in a positive light as survivors but instead used language that marginalized these women as “damaged” people that had “chosen” this life and they were not able to help themselves. The language that was used placed these survivors in a category of disempowerment as well as subordination, instead of encouraging a new life full of opportunities the language seemed to permanently remind them of their traumatic past and permanently place them in a subordinte position to everyone else. Comments such as “I have nothing in common with these people” and “we help these people live the right way” were made. Instead of raising awareness and increasing empathy, it seemed to further differentiate and marginalize, placing those that have not experienced the effects of sex trafficking in a more highly regarded place in society. It seemed as if the language was solely identifying this population through a label rather than their individual characteristics — as if dehumanizing the already dehumanized. Instead of teaching acceptance and expressing “awe”; in the strength and endurance of these women, the language seemed to imply that they had been a part of something that they should be ashamed of and that the organizations hosting the event could help them assimilate into mainstream society. Not once did it speak of the strength of these women, not once did it emphasize their adaptability, and not once did it promote their individuality. They were seen as a part of a group that needed help: victimized women — no more, no less.

In occupational therapy there is a concept that is used when addressing the various populations that we work with and it’s called person-first language. Person-first language is an important tool to be conscious of not only as an occupational therapist but as a citizen of the world as well. By definition:

. . . people with disabilities be identified first as individuals. “Person First Language” — referring, for example, to a “woman who is blind”; rather than to “a blind woman” — is a form of political correctness designed to further the aims of the social model by removing attitudinal barriers. (“Definition of Disabilities”, 2010, disabled-world.com/disability/types)

It should also be recognized that some times person-first language is not preferred depending on the person you’re talking to but for this event in particular I felt that person-first language would have been a more appropriate choice of language, focusing on the abilities and opportunities that these women do posses and focusing on their ability to engage in life and obtain a quality of life that is most beneficial and satisfying to them.

I in no way mean to imply that these organizations didn’t help these women. These organizations are great resources and provide many supportive services. It was the language used by this particular host that had altered my view of this event. It only took a few words to change the mood of that night. Imagine what a few words can do to a person. As much as people play with language in politics and law, it is extremely important to consider how it can affect both patients and providers in the medical sphere. A label, a category and a group all have certain connotations and many of those connotations can limit someone’s potential. Occupational therapists understand that our clients are constantly changing throughout treatment and therefore find it important to be cognizant of the language used to address patients and their situation. Words can either be a vehicle for positive change or a powerful tool to stop it. We should think twice about the language we use.

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OT across the US ⟩
October 15, 2010, by Yao

What are OS/OT?

From California to the Midwest OT is everywhere. 😊

If you’re like me you’ve heard the infamous question “What is OT?” a million and a half times and each time I answer it’s a little different depending on the person I’m talking to in order to make sure it is something meaningful to them so they understand the scope of OT and what occupational therapists really do. This weekend I have the pleasure of going home for a friend’s wedding, back to Packer country (Wisconsin), YAY! I love it out here! Anyways on my flight from LAX to Milwaukee I started talking to the passengers around me about where we were headed and one passenger had made a comment about how UCLA was THE school to go to and USC was just for spoiled children. Well I had to say something! I piped up and politely mentioned that I was a graduate student at USC and I was very proud to go to USC. He asked what I was going for and why I didn’t choose UCLA and my simple answer was that USC was not only a top school in the field number 1 on the West coast and 1-3 Nationally and internationally but UCLA didn’t have a graduate program in occupational therapy. That struck a chord with him as he recently had his knees replaced. And all of a sudden he dove into a story about his occupational therapists, what he knew about the profession and what areas we could practice in. It was like listening to myself talk to someone when they asked “what is occupational therapy?” He was so passionate about how much OT had helped in his recovery and how it was the only therapy that he looked forward to. Then in all seriousness he looks at me and said “My OT was a Trojan and she changed my life.”

My heart immediately melted, I wanted to cry. Then we continued that conversation about where I was and how my studying was going. But hearing that really re-validated my love for our profession even though its a struggle sometimes to explain how OTs can really make a difference it’s all worth it when you hear that you made a difference in at least one person’s life. So even when it feels like we’re fighting an uphill battle getting people exposed to Occupational Therapy and all it has to offer remember that we’re in an amazing profession that really changes lives. 😊

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Why Occupational Therapy? ⟩
September 30, 2010, by Yao

What are OS/OT?

I actually started off wanting to be a lawyer, then a forensic scientist, then a physical therapist and finally after all that I was introduced occupational therapy and found my passion. My mother introduced the profession to me because she was aware at the time that I wasn’t sure about my career decision. She noticed that the occupational therapists at her facility were always fun to be around and thought it would be a good idea for me to shadow them for a day. If anything I could at least have a day of my summer entertained by hilarious people who happened to be occupational therapists. During my observation it didn’t seem like therapy at all the whole time the residents were talking about what they were doing when they were my age all the while working on everyday activities like dressing. Everyone was always laughing and every single resident that day told me that they loved coming to occupational therapy because they felt as if they were hanging out with friends and happened to be working on their skills while visiting. Later that day I asked one of the head occupational therapists there what they liked most about being an occupational therapist and he mentioned that he loved occupational therapy because at the end of the day its all about the person. The treatment is based on the resident and when all is said and done it’s a profession that empowers the patients/residents with skills and encouragement that allow them to be the master of their own treatment. At that moment it all came together because the idea of empowering people to help themselves had been a theme throughout my life and one of the lenses I use in my interpretation of the world and interaction with people. That’s why I chose occupational therapy and ever since I’ve never considered another profession other than occupational therapy.

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