Working as an OT whilst disabled - RB

Occupational therapist Rachel Booth tells her story about becoming an OT having been born with Cerebral Palsy and diagnosed with Dyslexia

I was born with Cerebral Palsy and whilst at school it became apparent I was also dyslexic. Many essential skills needed to become an OT, I feel I have acquired as I’ve grown up with my disability. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. A large part of being on OT is problem solving, looking at a situation and finding an alternative.

Gigs and festivals have been a love of mine since I was 16.  However festivals are where I feel my most disabled.  I have to sleep in a tent and get up off the floor which I find difficult. This is where my skills as a disabled person come in. I have to plan far in advance, all my activities to minimise the amount of getting up off the floor or walking I might have to do.  In the world of OT we call this skill energy conservation. 

At work I have used my personal experiences with clients many times. In creative writing groups where clients have been reluctant to join in due their own literacy issues, I have been able share my problems and reassure them that it doesn’t matter if the words aren’t spelt right and to be satisfied that the idea is there.

Another situation I encountered is whereby a client felt she could not join in a community outing as she was a slow and poor walker. When I disclosed my disability to her, she felt more at ease and eventually became a regular of the community groups.

Reflecting now I can see I was born an OT. Skills that my fellow OT students had to learn while studying I had already developed as a child, as I’m sure many people with disabilities do.

I qualified in 2006, and I now work with In-patient mental health services. I have now taken on a role with helping to educate other people training to become an OT. I have also chosen to be open and honest with students I have on placements, to educate them further about how disability impact lives. Often for a student seeing someone they might see as a client also being a colleague is a good lesson to learn early on in their career. This has lead to me being asked to present at a local student conference.