Jean L. Minkel, PT, ATP

Mobilty Equity: Uncovering Systemic Inequities Towards Persons with Mobility Disabilities

Thursday, May 15th at RehabWeek; 3:00pm CT - 4:30pm CT 

ABSTRACT:

As a physical therapist, I have found a passion in working people with long-term mobility disabilities.  During my professional career, I (hopefully) have grown and evolved from ‘rookie’, to ‘expert’, to ‘partner’ and now to ‘ally’.

For the last two decades, I have had the privilege of running a wheelchair service designed to meet the needs of persons with mobility disabilities in New York City.  Very quickly, I learned I had to listen more and talk less. Through listening, I discovered what people really needed, which is not always what the system was providing. Our program, called On A Roll, is based on the goal of providing mobility equity.  Mobility equity starts by treating our clients as consumers. Our clinic is set up as a show room you roll through before you get to a treatment mat. Testing driving and safe spaces to say, ‘I don’t like it’ became common practices.  Our customers started to tell us what they really needed. We began a ‘back-up’ chair program; supporting the repair needs or both a primary and a back-up chair (of any type).  If you don’t have room to store a back-up chair in your NYC apartment, we support a loaner chair program, as well.

In 2019, the New York State decided we were a ‘boutique’ program. (A boutique for the poorest, disabled citizens in NYC).  Despite being poor and having very little power, our consumers fought for the wheelchair service.  We were allowed to contract with much larger managed care plan and we soon discovered what oppression feels like. 

This talk will use Bryan Stevenson’s four guiding principles to move toward justice, as a framework to work toward mobility equity.  We will examine our clinical practices, public policies, research agendas and technology offerings to uncover systemic inequities toward persons with mobility disabilities.  Hopefully, you too, will become not just a caring professional; but a motivated ally.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the role of self-generated mobility on a child’s cognitive, social and language development.
• Describe how medical necessity (the medical model) and prior authorizations influences full participation for persons with a long-term mobility disability
• Describe the 4 principles in Stevenson’s model to impact systems of injustice.

Attendees can earn 0.1 IACET CEUs for attending this lecture and finishing all components. 

Biography

Jean Minkel, PT, ATP is a physical therapist and master clinician well recognized for her work in Assistive Technology. Jean has a passion for insuring that people with a mobility disability have access to the products and services needed to support full participation in life.

Jean is the Senior Vice President of Rehab and Mobility Services for Independence Care System, a not for profit, care management agency for persons living with a physical disability in New York City.  She leads On  A Roll, an OT/PT private practice specializing in Seating and Wheeled Mobility services. Jean is also an independent consultant who provides educational and consulting service to all members of the A.T. team. 

Jean has been an invited keynote speaker at conferences in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.  She is the co-editor, with Michelle Lange, of the newly revised textbook, Seating and Wheeled Mobility – a Clinical Resource Guide.

RESNA has recognized Jean for her contributions by awarding to her the RESNA Fellow award, the Sam McFarland Mentor Award and this year’s  Colin McLaurin Distinguished Lectureship award.