The team of specialists from the Tony Hawks Centre Foundation, involved in the development of an extensive occupational therapy project for children with disabilities, funded by the European Union and the Soros Moldova Foundation, participated in August 2022 in Paris at the 18th World Congress of Occupational Therapy, held under the theme “Occupational R-Evolution.” The event brought together 2,700 participants from 104 countries. “The innovative presentations, exhibitions, and meetings with our mentors have deepened our conviction that the Republic of Moldova urgently needs to train specialists in Occupational Therapy,” said Diana Covalciuc, Director of the Tony Hawks Centre upon their return.
The Congress is organized every 4 years by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT). During the opening, representatives of the Republic of Moldova were not among the delegates who paraded with their national flags in front of the main stage because our country is not a member of this federation. This is due to the absence of an association of Occupational Therapy specialists, a lack of qualified Occupational Therapy professionals, and the fact that no universities in our country offer undergraduate studies in Occupational Therapy.
At the current stage, the development of Occupational Therapy worldwide involves knowledge and application across multiple domains, following the principles of transdisciplinarity, focusing on the patient, and promoting health and well-being. The primary goal of Occupational Therapy is to enable people to participate in their everyday activities through insertion, inclusion, empowerment, autonomy development, and social participation.
Congress participants emphasized the importance of Occupational Therapy and mentioned current trends and needs in this field. Here are some key points:
Occupational Therapy plays a unique and essential role in rehabilitation because it focuses on improving Activity and Participation, especially considering that one in three individuals currently needs rehabilitation (Dr. Alarcos Sieza, WHO).
- Occupational Therapy has the capacity to reduce inequalities and improve social justice (Dr. Ana Malfitano, PhD).
Occupational Therapists are concerned with occupational justice for the people, groups, and communities they work with (Samantha Shann, President of WFOT).
The Tony Hawks Center Foundation has been advocating for the establishment of a training course for Occupational Therapy specialists in universities for several years. They also support the development of this field in the country as one of the most suitable solutions for the rehabilitation and social integration of people with disabilities. Their participation in the Congress in Paris confirmed the validity of these efforts. They believe that the need to train Occupational Therapy specialists is also driven by recent emergencies in the region, leading to a huge increase in rehabilitation needs, which can overwhelm the already overburdened medical and social protection system.
Having specialists in the field of Occupational Therapy would provide the Republic of Moldova with the opportunity to have professionals with transdisciplinary visions in social fields who could intervene rapidly and effectively, even in the absence of a complete team, which is often lacking due to a shortage of personnel.
The Tony Hawks Center Foundation is currently developing an Occupational Therapy service for children with disabilities in Chisinau. They have set up a room equipped with the necessary tools at the center’s headquarters for appropriate activities. Additionally, the center’s specialists assist multiple child beneficiaries in adapting the environment and objects to individual needs, enabling children with special needs to engage comfortably in their preferred activities. The development of this service and the participation of Tony Hawks Center specialists in the Paris Congress are made possible through the project “Civil Society Organizations Act for Better Social Services,” funded by the European Union, co-financed, and implemented by the Soros Moldova Foundation in partnership with Keystone Moldova and the Institute of Virtutes Civilis NGO.
Sincere thanks to the sponsors, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to realize this project:
- Soros Moldova Foundation and ERIM in Moldova – IREX Europe
- Elena Covalciuc and Alexandru Funaru (and their friends who supported them at the Chisinau Marathon 2021)
- Mixbook Moldova
- METRO Moldova
- APROSERVICE
- Michael Kinsella