Disabled learner Cate Chapman talks about her own disability and how occupational therapy intervention got her back to being herself, while almost instantly inspiring her to become an occupational therapist and join the profession.
Having just celebrated Disability History Month, January seems like a perfect time to reflect on my journey to becoming a (future) occupational therapist as a disabled occupational therapy learner.
I was not aware of occupational therapy, or indeed occupational therapists, until I became unwell. Like many people, I assumed it was something to do with vaccinations or getting back to work. I assumed wrong.
So, what happened to make me come into the circle of the profession? I was formally diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome in 2022, but had been experiencing the symptoms of joint pain, dislocations and fatigue for about 10 years.
Apparently, it can take a decade to get a diagnosis; who knew? Ehlers Danlos Syndrome has a habit of inviting other conditions along with it and I developed Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) – a neurological condition affecting the autonomic system – in 2019.
These two conditions together can be tricky to navigate. I couldn’t stand or walk for long without fainting, my heart rate going sky high, or pain from dislocating joints. I didn’t leave my house for almost a year because of the fear of public fainting episodes, or falling and not being able to get home.
At this point, I had just finished my master’s degree in textile history and had been working with various museums. When my health and mobility declined rapidly, I could no longer do those jobs and ended up spending most of my time at home, save for hospital appointments.
Of course, this horrific time coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Double whammy. Chronic illness, plus isolation is a complicated sum.
The first time I met an occupational therapist was a home visit. She had come to assess my house and give me some equipment to help me live my life better. At the time, I was a bit confused as to why she needed to look at my bed, my stairs and my chairs. But now I understand why.
I ended up with a wheelchair, a bath board and a few other things gathered along my way. I dubbed that first wheelchair ‘the tank chair’, for obvious reasons. It was bulky, ugly and hard to push, but it got me out of the house and back to a version of myself.
That ugly wheelchair got me through the first six months after my decline. I had fun trying to shove it in my friend’s car, trying to get it on a bus, and just generally navigating the very hilly place where I lived.
Needless to say, it solved more than one problem. The only thing was that I quickly realised I needed something better and more suited to this new ‘ambulatory wheelchair user’ version of me.
I ended up self-funding an active wheelchair and I learned how to navigate the world in a new way.
That first active wheelchair was amazing. It was matte black, with bright green wheels and spokes, and I loved it. The way that I coped with it was by making it part of my outfit, like a bag or shoes.
I looked at it like an accessory, one that I could make a point with before someone else did. If someone stared at me for using a wheelchair, they were only staring because I looked so cool. I took control of it in the only way I knew how – fabulously!
I took photographs of my bright coloured outfits with my chair, often things that I had made; the very first was a bright green skirt suit and it matched perfectly.
I was taking control of my disability by making it feel like me. I refused to let things be done to me; I was taking control from now on.
By using the aids provided to me by that occupational therapist – and through using a wheelchair – I gained my independence and strength. I still couldn’t walk very far without falling or fainting, but that didn’t matter too much now that I had some wheels.
I got stronger and began to think about what I could do now that I was getting my life back. I considered returning to my career in museum work, but museum stores and offices are notoriously inaccessible.
I thought about training to be a teacher, but I didn’t have the qualifications and schools are often inaccessible too. I very briefly considered training to be a doctor or a nurse, but that got shot down quickly. I was thinking about applying to some medical clerk jobs, trying to use my archive experience, but I still wasn’t sure.
I was still pondering what I should do with my life when I met another occupational therapist.
I was struggling with the function of my hands while practising self-management through crafting. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome affects the collagen in your body, making joints unstable and painful. Not conducive to knitting at all.
And when it’s a regulatory occupation, it’s important to find a way to get back to what you need to do.
This occupational therapist gave me finger splints, a thermoplastic splint and some fantastic advice. During our six sessions, she taught me different pacing strategies, such as, if you can’t bend down to get the washing from the basket and then pin it up, put the basket on a stool. I thought it was genius!
She also explained different methods of achieving the task and about how to grade my tasks based on my energy and pain levels.
We chatted during the sessions and I shared my confusion about what I should do with my life as someone who is disabled and a wheelchair user. I talked about my vague thoughts around doing something medical, but not nursing or doctoring.
We chatted about occupational therapy and how useful disabled perspectives are to pain or chronic illness groups. And she mentioned that occupational therapy as a profession might be something I would be good at.
Well, that did it. I remember going home on the bus and missing my stop because I was researching occupational therapy and which universities had courses. I researched undergraduate, masters and even apprenticeships, before finding the course at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). I fretted for a while before applying, and then I was accepted.
Academia isn’t anything new for me, but navigating it as a disabled student in my 30s is about as alien as Mars. Suddenly everything is different and strange.
I had lots of questions: Would I be able to get into the classrooms? Would people dislike me for looking and being different? Luckily, there has been support along the way in the form of disability services and course tutors.
I was also nervous about going into a formal placement as a wheelchair-using disabled person.
Above: Cate Chapman
Hospital wards can often be cramped and difficult to navigate, but I was reassured that it would not be an issue and I would receive the same placement opportunities as anyone else, minus a few things such as manual handling and lifting tasks.
A real effort was made by the staff at ARU to make sure I was in the loop for every placement discussion and to for every placement discussion and to make sure I could voice my worries and issues.
Hospitals can feel overwhelming, even for those who work there. I worried that my issues might prevent me from doing the job, providing care, or performing key aspects of my occupational therapy role.
Luckily, my first placement has been a leadership role; something that I am very grateful for. I’ve learned a lot in my time on my first placement and I have seen all the ways in which I can be the best occupational therapist I can possibly be.
I was able to speak at a seminar with the occupational therapy department, reflecting on self-management and how my condition led me to training as an OT. This was a huge highlight of my placement and an opportunity I was extremely grateful for.
One of the unexpected plus points of my new, strange life is that I think like an occupational therapist without even realising now.
When navigating a path, I see the camber, cobbles, drop kerbs and all the other obstacles that people might not notice. While the shorter route may be quicker, the obstacles make it untraversable. The longer route is often the better choice.
Words CATE CHAPMAN, Student Occupational Therapist at Anglia Ruskin University. #ChooseOT is our careers campaign to inspire future occupational therapists. You can get involved by sharing our careers website and videos and reaching out to schools. Visit https://chooseot.co.uk/