OTs Are the Real Superheroes

Filmed in Cleveland Ohio, The Avengers movie will soon be hitting theaters throughout the country, but the real “Superheroes” recently descended on Indianapolis.

This past week, MobilityWorks attended the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) annual convention in Indiana. The event drew more than 5,000 attendees from all over the country and about 300 vendors. Occupational therapists are the heroes that work with our clients after suffering a debilitating event, such as a stroke or spinal cord injury, in order to regain the ability to do many of the physical tasks necessary to be independent. They transform lives for millions of Americans needing therapy services. Being an OT means having a lot of post-graduate training in many different medical areas – ranging from youth to elderly care. It also requires having a lot of patience and a strong desire to help people with physical needs at every stage of their recovery. Their goal is the same as ours, to allow people to live active lives again and to regain their independence as much as possible.

The AOTA convention vendors offered a wide array of different products and services to help clients with their rehabilitation process, such as improving motor skills, balance and hand-eye coordination. Academia was also well represented, as many colleges and universities were there to represent post-graduate curriculum. Many assisted living facilities were also there with displays looking to hire OT professionals. Even the Navy was on hand to recruit OTs. There were also driving simulators for training someone to drive again and wheelchair accessible vans made by BraunAbility.  

While our mission was to connect with leaders in the occupational therapy world, the event was inspirational in that many of the younger graduates showed exceptional interest in our products and the SureGrip hand controls demonstration that we brought to the exhibit hall. Working alongside other organizations such as the Adaptive Driving Alliance, the National Mobility Dealers Association (NMEDA) and The Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (ADED), our secondary mission was to educate new OTs attending on the importance of mobility products and the vast array of transportation options that are available. Soon they will be OT influencers guiding clients to our stores for adaptive quipment solutions.