New York State Occupational Therapy Association Presents Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Forum for Educators and Students

CHESTER, N.Y., Sep. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The New York State Occupational Therapy Association's (NYSOTA) Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee is hosting a virtual event for occupational therapy educators and students on September 12, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM EST. NYSOTA's How to Embed JEDI Concepts & Principles into OT Education: A Forum for Educators and Students is a virtual event located on ZOOM where attendees will discuss, plan, and work together to design elements of occupational therapy curricula for both coursework and fieldwork. Incorporating JEDI concepts and principles into OT education will support historically excluded students and the future of the OT profession.

"Dominant narratives and systemically oppressive pedagogies highly influence the current state of OT Education." Says Gabriella Vasquez, Board Member and JEDI Committee Co-Chair, "BIPOC student and practitioner voices urge the need to re-shift curricula to be more historically accurate and carefully consider cultural humility rather than competency. An event like this is necessary to bring students and educators together and lay foundational steps to build an equitable and inclusive OT profession."

The event will include a Keynote Address by AOTA Vice President of Education and Professional Development Sabrina Salvant, EdD, MPH, OTR/L, as well as a presentation by NYSOTA Vice President, David Melchionne-Martinez, MA, COTA/L. The goal of this half-day course is to work together in groups to close a gap in OT education, and create more equitable and inclusive experiences for students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as those from other historically excluded backgrounds.

Founded in 1959, the New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA) is the primary professional organization representing over 22,000 occupational therapy practitioners and students in New York State. Occupational therapy is a profession that works with individuals of all ages to empower them to participate in the activities of their daily lives as well as activities that bring them joy. NYSOTA collaborates with national professional organizations, New York State professional associations, and New York State governmental agencies to protect the integrity of the occupational therapy profession and assure consumer access to quality occupational therapy services. NYSOTA supports occupational therapy professionals through advocacy, professional development, networking opportunities, and resources. For more information or to become a member, visit nysota.org.

For more information on NYSOTA's JEDI Educator event and other upcoming NYSOTA events, search and follow NYSOTA on Facebook and Instagram. This virtual event must be registered for in advance and costs $25 NYSOTA Members; $40 Non-Members; $10 Student Members; $15 Student Non-Members. Registration will close on September 11, 2021 at 11:59 pm. For further questions please contact NYSOTA at (518) 301-9187 or by email at [email protected].

Media Contact

Michelle Scanlon, New York State Occupational Therapy Association, +1 (518) 301-9187, [email protected]

Madelyn McCarthy, New York State Occupational Therapy Association, (401) 965-2977, [email protected]

SOURCE New York State Occupational Therapy Association