Dismantling Ableism and Changing the Culture of Disability Within the Physical Therapy Profession

Thursday, November 17, 2022

8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Location: Broadway 4

Lead Speaker(s)

Mercedes E. Aguirre Valenzuela, PT,DPT (she/her/hers)

Physical Therapist
NJ Early Intervention Services
Wayne, New Jersey

Presentation Slides Slide Handouts

Speaker(s)

Angela Fritz, PT, DPT, PCS

Physical therapist
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Seattle, Washington
Cheryl I. Kerfeld, PT, MS, PhD

Physical Therapist
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle, Washington
Molly Pierson, SPT

Student of Physical Therapy
Oklahoma City University
Raleigh, North Carolina
Emily Townsend, PT, DPT

Pediatric Physical Therapist
Brooks Rehabilitation
jacksonvile, Florida
Tyler Brown

SPT
Touro University Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
KJ

Katherine Joines, PT, DPT, DHSc, Board Certified: Pediatrics

Assistant Professor
Touro University Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Ketul Shah, DPT, SCS, CSCS

Physical Therapist
Family Foot and Leg Center
Bonita Springs, Florida

One billion people worldwide – 15% of the global population – have a reported disability. Despite these numbers, people with disabilities experience widespread discrimination in their homes, schools, and communities. Social justice, equity, and inclusion influence our beliefs and values; therefore, to develop ourselves as allies to the disability community, PTs, PTAs, and students must understand ableism and advocate for disability justice.
This session will investigate the culture of disability and challenge us to consider how our attitudes and actions impact marginalized populations' education, health, and daily lives. It will make us think differently about what we can accomplish as professionals interested in DEI by learning from the lived experiences of PTs and SPTs with disabilities.
We will dive deeper into the background of disability models, legislation/advocacy, and disability justice. The discussion will focus on the importance of representation and inclusivity in popular culture (media, toys, and entertainment). Inclusivity and accessibility are intertwined, so we will discuss the importance of inclusive design to promote a culture of belonging for people with disabilities. An emphasis will also be placed on intersectionality and the diversity of disability to capture a well-rounded perspective.
By the end of this pre-conference, we will know how to take actionable steps to shift the culture of disability within the profession, at the education (inclusive PT/PTA school acceptance processes, accessible meetings and education opportunities, disability-inclusive curriculums), clinical practice (workplace belonging and reasonable accommodations, technology) and administrative (diverse hiring practices, empowering policies and procedures for folks with disabilities) levels.

Pastries, yogurt and coffee provided. Lunch on own.

Learning Objectives:

Examine the various forms of ableism (both direct and indirect), disability models, legislation, and disability justice and grasp the importance of understanding representation, inclusivity and intersectionality.
Conceptualize and apply different actionable strategies on how PTs, PTAs, and students of all abilities can work collaboratively to create an environment of inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities.
Identify and utilize DEI knowledge, skills, and resources that PTs, PTAs, and students need to serve as change agents and become disability allies in education, workplaces, communities, and global society.