Knowledge Check

Dr. Keisling's presentation on the history of disability was very inspiring and made me more aware of the major strives the world has made towards equality. I had little knowledge about the specifics of this history and it was very interesting to hear about the people who influenced these movements and actual events that occurred. I found the story of Ed Roberts to be the most inspiring, and particularly enjoyed the video clip we watched of him. It is unbelievable to see stories like Ed’s, and see how someone can take something that could be so negative, like being paralyzed from the neck down, to turn it into something positive by being an inspiration and a leader to those around him. 

One thing from this presentation that I was able to relate back to our Era Presentations was the movement John F. Kennedy began in the 60’s. My group presented on the 60’s and we barely scraped the surface on the history of the Kennedy family so it was very interesting to hear what Dr. Keisling had to say about Rosemary Kennedy. I didn’t realize the impact the Kennedy’s had on the equality movement and society’s realization that people with disabilities needed to supported and helped. 

This presentation held very interesting information and details about our history as a society and it will have an impact on me as a future OT practitioner. I believe this to be true because learning the history of something is one of the only ways to understand the bigger picture. We can see how far we have come as a society and be proud as an individual to represent the health professions field. As an OT practitioner, I will be aware of acts that were created in the past and updated over the years, and continue to be aware of the fact that there are changes still to be made and the need to continue to develop as a society.