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A conference entitled “Development of Occupational Therapy Profession in Armenia and Georgia: Ten Years Later” started at Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) on May 5. The event has brought together participants from Greece, Poland, Turkey, the Netherlands and Armenia.
In his opening speech, ASPU Rector Ruben Mirzakhanyan stressed that in each country society's attitude towards people with disabilities shows the level of development of the given state.
“When speaking about the development of Occupational Therapy we should focus on the study of European experience and approaches, at the same time considering national peculiarities and socio-economic conditions; otherwise the training of specialists will be nothing but a nice exercise,” the ASPU rector said adding that the country needs occupational therapists to deal with the existing problems and contribute to the country’s development; there is a lack of literate campaigning and awareness in all strata of society.
“Very often young people want to become a lawyer or a surgeon, who can easily achieve the desired results with a light hand movement. Few choose the profession of a pedagogue: it requires painstaking efforts and long practice. However, it should be noted that today occupational therapists are in great demand everywhere,” said Professor Ara Babloyan, Doctor of Medical Science, Chairman of RA National Assembly's Standing Committee of on Healthcare, Maternity and Childhood Affairs. He stressed that it is necessary to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities and create equal psychological conditions, otherwise society will divide into two parts.
Manuk Mkrtchyan, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, also emphasised the importance of the conference and said ‘each person is an irreplaceable blessing for the public’ and all conditions should be provided for his physical, spiritual, and social health.
In her speech, Lana Karlova, Coordinator of TEMPUS National Office in Armenia, referred to the introduction of Occupational Therapy Profession in Armenia and Georgia, noting that for 10 years they had been carrying out difficult work trying to understand the nature of the programme and achieve its objectives.
Further on, specialists of the sector presented their reports. Hanneke van Bruggen, Project leader of the OT Tuning Project team, Honorary Member of the Dutch OT Association EN (Ergotherapie Nederland), Fellow of the WFOT (World Federation of Occupational Therapists), stressed in her report that the number of disabled people across the world is increasing day by day which is not only conditioned by the fact that the population is ageing and there has been a rapid increase in chronic health problems, but also by such conflicts and social factors that affect human health.
The specialist stressed that around the world people with disabilities have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. “Poverty and disability promote one another, making disabled people more vulnerable and forcing these people and their families to seek isolation,” she stresses.
Hanneke van Bruggen also presented the measures offered in the Disability Solidarity Report that will enable all interested parties to create an appropriate environment and conditions for developing an inclusive society.
Lusia Oganezovi, Vice-president of Georgian Occupational Therapy Association, presented the state of Occupational Therapy in Georgia, its development, challenges, achievements and future goals. She focused on the role of Occupational Therapy in inclusive education, its strengths and weaknesses.
Marianna Harutyunyan, PhD in Pedagogy, lecturer at ASPU, Co-founder of Armenian Occupational Therapy Association, presented a report on Occupational Therapy education in Armenia. She stressed that the achievements and challenges identified in the sector show the growth and development of the profession, and intend to clarify the existing obstacles. Marianna Harutyunyan stressed that the development of Occupational Therapy education in Armenia has been a long process: simultaneously the problems and obstacles have been exposed which require an urgent solution.
In her speech, Armenuhi Avagyan, Dean of the Faculty of Special Education at ASPU, PhD in Pedagogy, said the Armenian experience of preparing occupational therapists at ASPU showed that the profession is fully acceptable among the specialties offered by the Faculty of Special Education taking into account the characteristics of the profession, and has its unique place and role.
This can be evidenced by the fact that the Faculty had 60 graduates [armed with relevant knowledge] and has already received a positive feedback from employers. Armenuhi Avagyan also expressed hope that the three-day conference will promote close cooperation between leading educational institutions and various structures carrying out professional activities with the aim of ensuring the mobility of students, organizing practices, training of specialists and qualification development and realizing joint educational programmes and projects.
The conference will continue on Tuesday, May 6.
