Equity , diversity and belonging
Equity , diversity and belonging
Feature
Getting my life back
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 .
H
aving 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
32 OTnews January 2025