|
News Release
New Brunswick Citation Awards
presented
regarding National Occupational Therapy Month
National Occupational Therapy Month - October
2006
Access occupational therapy to build
the skills for the job of living
FREDERICTON, October 20, 2006 - The Canadian Association of Occupational
Therapists and the New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists
are pleased to honour the Tetra Society of North America (Fredericton
Chapter) and Dr. Colleen O'Connell with Citation Awards.
Citation Awards are bestowed to recognize the significant accomplishments
of an agency, program and/or individual within each province/territory
that has contributed to rehabilitation, community health, self-help
groups, provincial, territorial or municipal government initiatives
in health care or other related programs. Citation Award winners
will have demonstrated support of occupational therapy philosophy
and their nomination will have been endorsed by their provincial/territorial
organization.
Recruiting skilled volunteers to create assistive devices so people
with disabilities can live more independently is just one of the
reasons the Tetra Society of North America (Fredericton Chapter)
is being honoured with a Citation Award.
Tetra recruits skilled volunteers such as occupational therapists
as well as engineers, design technicians, and other health professionals
to work with clients to make assistive aids or modifications to
their environment in order to reduce physical barriers in all aspects
of basic living.
Recent projects include: redesigning a tricycle with hip supports,
creating a spring-loaded pool cue for individuals with one functional
upper extremity, adapting a bike trailer with a booster seat and
seatbelt for a child with cerebral palsy, modifying snow sleds with
backrests and seatbelts, and adapting a battery-operated ride-on
car with a head-mounted switch for speed control.
Tetra is an extremely important volunteer organization in New Brunswick
since government funding for assistive devices is very limited.
The personal expense to have custom modifications to a device may
be more than some can manage. Tetra offers solutions that are often
simple but can change someone's life and offer them more independence.
Dr. Colleen O'Connell, a physiatrist working in Fredericton,
is being honoured for her international efforts to assist people
with disabilities who do not have access to rehabilitative care.
This includes Dr. O'Connell's involvement in many research initiatives,
including a project examining the physical, emotional, functional,
and social factors affecting amputees in Mozambique. The majority
of her subjects were survivors of land mines explosions or injured
during the civil war.
Dr. O'Connell has also initiated the Canadian "Helping Hands
for Haiti". She coordinates numerous teams of rehabilitation
and health care professionals, including occupational therapists,
who travel to Haiti to provide equipment, treatment and training
to local people so they may enable themselves and others.
The Citation Award will be presented to the Fredericton Chapter
of the Tetra Society of North America and Dr. Colleen O'Connell
on Friday, Oct. 20, 2006 in Fredericton at the Holiday Inn Mactaquac,
35 Mactaquac Road, at 1 p.m.
CAOT Citation Awards are presented to recipients typically during
October, which is National Occupational Therapy Month. This year's
theme "Yes I Can!" communicates that all people can and
should participate in their desired activities, regardless of age
or ability.
For more information on occupational therapy, visit www.caot.ca.
To find an occupational therapist in your community, visit www.otworks.ca
and click on OT Finder.
Contact:
Tanya Baglole
Communications Coordinator
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
Tel.: 1 800-523-2268, ext. 225, 613 523-2268, ext. 225
Fax: 613 523-2552
E-mail: communication@caot.ca
Christine Plourde
Fredericton Chapter Coordinator
Tetra Society of North America
Tel: (506) 462-7662
Fax: (506) 462-7646
E-mail: cplourde@CRAworld.com
New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists
Tel: (506) 458-1001
Fax: (506) 455-8846
E-mail: info@nbaot.org
-30-
Click
here to view our Sources Listing
Main
News Release page - The
Sources Calendar -
Search Sources Listings
-
Parliamentary Names & Numbers
How
to Post Your Press Releases
Sources
home page
Search the Sources directory to find
experts and spokespersons
|