Breaking OT Barriers: Disability Mentorship

Hosted by the TNOTA Northeast District

Thursday, May 29 at 6:00 pm Central Time/7:00 pm Eastern Time

Register Here

About This Course: Individuals with disabilities (IWD) comprise the largest minority group in the United States, yet they don’t always have a clear part to play in advocacy efforts. Breaking OT Barriers is a disability mentorship program that aims to create connections amongst IWDs, empower participants through knowledge and experiences, and advocate for disability rights and diversity within occupational therapy. Disability mentorship not only helps one gain knowledge in professional development, but improves coping strategies and disability identity. Breaking OT Barriers challenges traditional views of disability and provides a roadmap for success for IWDs leading to a larger representation in healthcare and ultimately stronger advocacy efforts for disability rights.

Course Objectives: After completion of this occupational therapy continuing education course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the unmet need for mentorship programs tailored to occupational therapists with disabilities
2. Explain how disability mentorship programs address unique challenges faced by occupational therapists with disabilities.
3. Discuss the potential impact of disability mentorship on the professional development and well-being of therapists with disabilities.

Presenter: Caroline P Hillyard, OTD, OTR/L is an OT in Columbia, TN with a passion for disability advocacy. She holds a Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences and an M.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is the recipient of the Excellence in Scholarship Award (2024), the Sigma Xi Excellence in Health Professions Student Research Award (2017), and the Rosemary Batorski Community Service Award (2014). She is the creator of Breaking OT Barriers, a disability mentorship program created to support disabled OTs. As a disabled practitioner herself, she champions advocacy and inclusion within the community.

CEU Opportunity: 1 CEU, FREE for TNOTA members and nonmembers