Era projects: 3 specific points of information that stuck out to me

     I loved seeing each group present in different ways throughout the era presentations. I found that each group had their own interesting facts/information, and it was very entertaining to watch and listen to them! The first specific point of information that stuck out to me was The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in the 70's era. I've always thought this was an important milestone in history because of the importance of inclusion for those with disabilities. It's also a huge deal that it eliminates discrimination against those with disabilities and further helps them to enter the workplace. Section 504 within this Act is so important because it established civil rights for those with disabilities and required handicapped accessibility. I believe that this was a huge leap in the 70's that really changed that era for the better, and helped progress OT as a whole because of these changes.

     Secondly, the OT work place stuck out to me in the 90's era. I found it interesting that 1700 OT's were being added to the workforce each year, yet they were still around 800 short of how many were needed at that time. That just goes to show that Occupational therapy was always needed, and maybe people just weren't aware of it yet during that time period. Many people to this day may not understand exactly what OT is, and I'm so glad to be going to school for it right now so that one day I can educate others and help others through this field. 

     Lastly, the 80's era stuck out to me because they were moving away from institutionalization. This led to OT having significant contribution to individuals transitioning to more independent lifestyles. This group discussed the major areas of focus being social skills, ADL's, and vocational assessments. I found this to be a very important step in history because this lead to awareness for how humans with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be treated properly. 

     Overall, I enjoyed each presentation and thought that every group was creative in their own way! These specific facts about OT and the history of these era's were the ones I found most intriguing towards our profession.