Occupational Therapy without Borders: Learning From The Spirit of Survivors(Occupational Therapy Essentials)

This book challenges occupational therapists, members of a still small and rather invisible profession, to more fully realize the profession's social vision of a more just society where disability, old age, and other marginalizing conditions and experiences are addressed by involving people in helping themselves to (re)gain the capacity and power to construct their own destinies through their participation in daily life. The book will explore the new idea of occupational apartheid - the separation between those who have meaningful, useful occupations and those who are deprived of, isolated from, or otherwise constrained in their daily life. All royalties from this book will go to a special fund that supports the initiatives of SPIRIT of SURVIVORS - Occupational Therapy Without Borders.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Section 1 - Spirit of Survivors Stories / Voices for our Future 1. A Beginning. 2. Once a Street Child, Now a Citizen of the World 3. The Right to be Blind Without Being Disabled 4. Occupation under Occupation: Days of Conflict and Curfew in Bethlehem 5. A Beginner Writer is Not a Beginner Thinker Section 2 - Philosophical and Theoretical Arguments 6. Occupational Apartheid 7. Occupational Therapy and Social Field: Clarifying Concepts and Ideas 8. The Art of Occupational Therapy: Engaging Hearts in Practice 9. A Participatory Occupation Justice Framework: Population-Based Processes of Practice Occupational therapy and society 10. Situated Meaning: An Issue of Culture, Inclusion and Occupational Therapy 11. Social Occupational Therapy: a Socio-Historical Perspective 12. The Presence of Child Spirituality: Surviving in a Marginalized World 13. Challenges for Occupational Therapy in Community-Based Rehabilitation: Occupation in a Community Approach to Handicap Development 14. The Model of Human Occupation as a Conceptual Tool for Understanding and Addressing Occupational Apartheid 15. Countering Disability-Related Marginalization Using Three Canadian Models 16. The Kawa (River) Model: Nature, Life Flow and the Power of Culturally Relevant Occupational Therapy Section 3 - Occupational Therapy Practice Without Borders 17. Connecting Health and Social Justice: A Lebanese Experience 18. Occupational Therapy Intervention with Children Survivors of War 19. Juggling with survivors in the streets of Guatemala 20. To Practice to Learn: Occupational Therapy with the Children of Viet Nam 21. Voices Talk and Hands Write 22. Transcending Practice Borders Through Perspective Transformation 23. Unlocking Spirituality: Play as a Health-Promoting Occupation in the Context of HIV/AIDS 24. Inclusive Education in Pakistan: An Occupational Therapist's Contribution to Teacher Education 25. The Return of the Corn Men: An Intervention Project with a Mayan Community of Guatamalan 'Retornos' 26. Muffled Cries of Occupational Injustices in Japanese Society 27. The Occupational Therapy International Outreach Network: Supporting Occupational Therapists Working Without Borders Section 4 - Critical Education and Research 28. Reflections on Occupational Justice as a Subtext of Occupation-Centred Education 29. Politics in Occupational Therapy Education: A South African Perspective 30. The Metuia Project in Brazil: Ideas and Actions Which Bind Us Together 31. Domestic Workers' Narratives: Transforming Occupational Therapy Practice 32. Participatory Action Research: Creating New Knowledge and Opportunities for Occupational Engagement Epilogue Bibliography Index

Review :
This book is essential reading to understand the power of occupational therapy in addressing disabling environments. Practice is related directly to theory, whilst drilling down to the lived experience of participants. If, like me, you have not purchased and occupational therapy text for quite some time, make this the one. Connections, A publication of OT Australia This book is an indispensable tool for anyone who sides with the underdog. It is a treasure chest of agents of change and community-based facilitators in every field related to equitable and sustainable development. Health Wrights 2006