logo euit

Expanding the Implementation of the Americans With Disabilities Act for Populations With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The Role of Organization-Level Occupational Therapy Consultation / Caroline J. Umeda; Donald J. Fogelberg; Tracy Jirikowic; Jennifer S. Pitonyak; Tracy M. Mroz; Roger I. Ideishi

Creator: Umeda, Caroline J.
Creators: Fogelberg, Donald J | Jirikowic, Tracy L.
Material type: ArticleArticleISSN: 02729490.Subject(s): Teràpia Ocupacional | Estats Units d'Amèrica | Discapacitats | Política sanitària | Participació comunitària | MuseusOnline resources: Accés restringit usuaris EUIT In: American Journal of Occupational Therapy 2017 JUL-AGO; 71(4): 7104090010p1-7104090010p6.Summary: The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) provides standards and guidance for accessibility and accommodations that remove barriers to facilitate community social participation for individuals with disabilities. However, ADA implementation does not yet fully address the diverse access needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who continue to face barriers to community social participation. This article explores the potential for occupational therapy practitioners to provide organization-level consultation as a means of maximizing community social participation among people with IDD. Case examples of occupational therapy practitioners working with community organizations are presented to illustrate organization-level consultation that addresses access needs across diverse community contexts. The relevance of supporting community social participation within the context of health equity is discussed, and key next steps, including developing population-based outcome measures, addressing reimbursement considerations, and developing best practices for organization-level consultation, are outlined. Given health care reform’s growing emphasis on health promotion and client outcomes, including well-being and quality of life, rich opportunities to expand the scope of occupational therapy in community-based practice have emerged (Braveman, 2015; Mroz, Pitonyak, Fogelberg, & Leland, 2015). Consultation with community organizations is a growing area of practice that demonstrates occupational therapy’s established role in supporting accessibility to public spaces for people with disabilities. It also illustrates the profession’s unique and valuable contributions to promoting community social participation for all members of society. Although physical accessibility to public spaces helps facilitate community social participation for people with disabilities, unrecognized environmental barriers remain in the social and built physical environment that prevent true social inclusion for some of these people. In this health policy brief, we recognize the contributions of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA; Pub. L. 101–336) in moving toward accessible environments and social inclusion, identify persisting gaps in this policy’s implementation, and discuss occupational therapy’s role in closing these gaps. Specifically, we explore ADA implications for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), because this population may experience access barriers as a result of sensory, behavior, and cognitive challenges. Through case examples of occupational therapy partnerships with community organizations, we highlight the role of occupational therapy in supporting efforts toward maximizing community life access among people with disabilities in diverse contexts. Finally, we place these issues in the context of health equity initiatives and propose action steps to further these efforts and enhance health outcomes through social participation.
Star ratings
    Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number URL Status Notes Date due Barcode
Journal article Journal article Escola Universitària d'Infermeria i Teràpia Ocupacional de Terrassa Internet En línia Text complet Exclòs de préstec També en paper 0000101705057

English

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.

Powered by Koha