CAOT-BC and OT Month

As another great OT month comes to a close, I reflect on all the activity that CAOT-BC has been involved in over the month of October:

                             Billboard on  E. Hastings St. in Vancouver                                 

OT month was kicked off at CAOT National office in Ottawa with a week filled with planning and the official launch of the Ask for It! campaign. From bus ads in Ottawa and billboards and bumper stickers across the country, the campaign has been great for increasing awareness of occupational therapy. In BC, 3 billboards were occupied by the Ask for It! poster for the entire month.

Next it was representing occupational therapists at the Injury Action Forum 3 in Surrey. This was an excellent opportunity to speak about occupational therapy to a variety of national leaders in the injury prevention field. On the same day, CAOT-BC also attended a student social event held by the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

 

Mary Glasgow-Brown and Rosie Higgins at the UBC Faculty of Medicine student social



Next up was a CAOT-BC exhibit booth at a workshop held by the Learning Disabilities Association of Vancouver. This was an event attended by many parents of children with learning disabilities and it was excellent opportunity to build on the Ask for It! campaign and promote awareness of how occupational therapists can provide services in this practice area.

 

Jill Rihela and Giovanna Boniface at Fraser Health Bridges

 



Next stop, CAOT-BC provided presentations and exhibit booths at Fraser Health Bridges and the COTBC AGM. These were wonderful opportunities to connect with occupational therapists.

Finally, CAOT-BC was able to secure a brief announcement of OT Month at a local television station, CityTV, Breakfast Television Vancouver.  On October 26, 2012, traffic specialist, Michel McDermott provided an announcement as well posting of the CAOT Ask for It! poster, "Because of Occupational Therapy I can...". Thank you Michel. To view this announcement, please go to the following link:

Thank you to everyone who participated in OT Month to celebrate occupational therapy. Although this month allows us to focus on promotion of our practices and the profession, promotion of the profession is always a priority for CAOT-BC throughout the entire year.