Durham Tech Occupational Therapy Assistant students present at state conference, discuss racial equity and health disparities

Four Durham Tech students participated in a panel discussion at the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association Virtual State Conference on March 20.

Durham Tech was one of three colleges to participate in a session called Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Learning Activities to Consider, where students reflected on events and activities that their educational programs have offered related to issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The presentation was intended to advance efforts of educational and practice settings to offer multiple types of opportunities for students, educators, and practitioners to think about and address issues of racism, diversity of all kinds, equity, justice, and inclusion.

This was the first presentation of its kind in the Occupational Therapy profession within North Carolina.

Macie Bell, Aria Galloway, Alfred Hilliard, Jr., and Labrittny Sims – first year Occupational Therapy Assistant students at Durham Tech – participated in a Courageous Conversations workshop last semester and spoke about their experience.

“Participating in the panel discussion was the perfect platform for me to express my thoughts from a black man's perspective,” Hilliard said. “It was necessary to further the conversation about the prejudices that exist in healthcare among minorities and how proper intervention can be monumental for change. I hope that people will understand that educating yourselves and others about these disparities is the first domino that falls to further progress.”

The discussion was led by Christine Gunnigle, OTA Program Director, and Angela Davis, Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion at Durham Tech.

“I was honored to partner with Christine Gunnigle, and lead a Courageous Conversation on Racial Equity for her OTA class in Fall 2020 and I’m extremely proud of our students for reflecting on the information they learned, and sharing it with others at the OTA North Carolina DEI Conference,” Davis said.

Courageous Conversations supports adults in having the conversations necessary to make progress on difficult subjects such as race, privilege, implicit bias, stereotypes, and ethnicity.

“It was important for me to speak at the conference because I know that my experience as a black woman is invaluable,” Bell said. “I hope that after attending the session, people realize that diversity, equity, and inclusion go far beyond including black and brown faces on a brochure. It means bringing these people's voices to the forefront and making sure that they, we, have a seat at the table and can lead the changes that we want to see in OT and our community. I hope that other institutions feel inspired to make cultural awareness and sensitivity an integral part of every curriculum and not merely cover the topics as a formality.” 

The students also completed an individual assignment that focused on health disparities and inequities in healthcare.

“It was sad hearing about some of the disparities in healthcare and how people are treated differently,” Sims said. “It makes me feel like I’m in the right profession and doing the right thing so I can be a change.”

Both projects helped provide a more empathetic understanding of all races, ethnicities, and diversity of all kinds.

“The health disparities assignment was based on factual statistics whereas Courageous Conversations was more emotionally charged. I liked having the balance of both,” Galloway said. “It touched on everything and you got a full picture of what you need to learn.”

The Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusion at Durham Tech offers several training opportunities throughout the year. 

“As future leaders in the occupational therapy industry, it is imperative that OTA professionals honor, respect, and celebrate difference when serving their clients,” Davis said. “These conversations create a safe and brave space where students and instructors can learn from each-others' lived experiences and better serve our community.”
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Contact Marcy Gardner, Content and Social Media Coordinator at gardnerm@durhamtech.edu