4 minute read
Challenges of technology’s brave new world
Carol Jewell, Acting National Manager Professional Practice and Development
The pioneers of our profession showed remarkable vision and foresight in steering the course of occupational therapy in Australia. Elspeth Pearson (1926-2015) was one of these pioneers. She was known for her single-minded lifetime commitment to the growth and development of the profession, and for supporting its emerging leaders.
Occupational therapy surfaced at a time when disability was not well understood and people with disabilities were often institutionalised (Poulden and Oak, 1990). In these times, people with disabilities had limited opportunities to take part in meaningful activities, and quality of life was barely a concept. Early pioneers of our profession set clear expectations that people with disabilities had the capabilities and rights to lead fulfilling lives, and be afforded the same opportunities as people in the broader community. The profession has rapidly evolved. However, the fundamental principles of occupational therapy practice and the agenda set by our pioneers is more relevant than ever.
Elspeth Pearson was a member of the first cohort of occupational therapists to be trained in Australia and was well known for her pioneering work in mental health. Her deeply significant and compassionately held humanistic beliefs underpinned all aspects of her work, and she was awarded the first Victorian Public Service Award for her contribution to psychiatric services. She was an inspirational leader who had a clear vision for occupational therapy in Australia
“To have my aspirations not only recognised but supported by the Elspeth Pearson Award has been an incredible honour and has made me even more determined to achieve my goals – Stephanie Porter, Elspeth Pearson Award winner 2020
and a strong commitment to developing and nurturing occupational therapists throughout their career. Her commitment to the profession lives on through the Elspeth Pearson Award which supports and inspires early career occupational therapists to achieve their aspirations and fulfil their potential as emerging leaders of the profession.
Our emerging leaders will be entering a period of rapid societal change as the digital revolution takes hold. Advances in information and communications technology, rapidly developing technologies such as 3D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous vehicles will substantially change the landscape in which we all operate (Liu, 2018). These technological changes have the potential to enable people with disabilities to fully take part in meaningful activities with self-determination and autonomy. If this technology is accessible to people with disabilities it has the potential to substantially change their experience of disability and the way in which disability is viewed in society as a whole. However, while the therapeutic possibilities are endless, these technological changes also have the potential to disrupt the occupations and livelihoods of people with disabilities and the broader community as a whole. Occupational therapists implicitly understand how disruption to meaningful occupation and participation affects health and well-being.
Our expertise and understanding of human occupations, coupled with our clinical reasoning and creative solution-focused problem-solving, positions us well to contribute to the discussion, design and implementation of new technologies for the betterment of all (Liu and Mihailidis, 2019). This is our opportunity to take up the mantle and be a prime mover in promoting community
I want my career to focus on helping individuals with an acquired brain injury and mental illness achieve the most during their time in rehabilitation.
health and well-being in this fast-changing world (Hyett et al., 2015)—an opportunity to create brighter futures for people with disabilities and the broader community.
The occupational therapy profession is wellpositioned to take a substantial leadership role in promoting health and well-being through meaningful occupation in this rapidly evolving world—a world in which the fundamental principles of occupational therapy personcentred care are as pivotal to our practice now as they were when they were embedded by Elspeth Pearson and the many other inspiring pioneers of our profession almost a century ago. Are we ready to embrace a brighter future? With the conviction and commitment we see in our emerging leaders, I believe we are.
Further information about the Elspeth Pearson Award is available on the OTA website.
References can be viewed by scanning the QR code OTA extends its sincere thanks to Alan Pearson who has been the family representative of the Elspeth Pearson Trust since it began. He has made a significant personal commitment as principal lead of the trust to ensure the award provides support for early career clinicians who have potential to make substantial gains for the people they work with and for the profession as a whole. Alan has unquestionably carried out these duties with the same dedication and passion for the profession that Elspeth Pearson held. We wish him well in his retirement from this role.
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