A Reflection on the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture by Anne P. Grady

 In 1994, Ann P. Grady was awarded The Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award, a distinguished award that recognizes an occupational therapist who has made significant and abiding benefactions to the ot profession. Anne P. Grady, MA, OTR, FAOTA, served as the director of occupational and physical therapy at the Children's Hospital of Colorado and instructed in pediatrics at University of Colorado Health Science Center. Ann P. Grady chose to speak on "Building Inclusive Community: A Challenge for Occupational Therapy" (Grady, 1995). I believe Ann Grady wrote about this topic due to two major acts that took place in the 90's and to just overall help individuals to have a better understanding on the meaning of community, choice, and a proposed action for encouraging inclusion in the community.

During the 1990's, The first major event that took place was the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). This act became a civil rights law in 1990 that banned discrimination against individuals with disabilities in any public area. The second event was the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This act certifies students with a disability are issued with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in 1991 (Grady, 1995). These acts helped with inclusion and choice in the community.

I chose to read and write about this speaker and topic because I believe inclusion is important for every individual. The phrase "interpersonal communication (how we interact with others)", that played a role in inclusion and related to the ot profession was mentioned. Inclusion helps ensure that everyone feels a wholeness and that the individual has a safe place in the community (Grady, 1995).

Grady, A. P. (1995). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture—Building Inclusive Community: A Challenge for Occupational Therapy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49, 300-310. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.49.4.300