The problem with prevention: the case of spina bifida.
In this paper, I present a viewpoint about prevention and spina bifida that is not usually expressed within the occupational therapy literature. Using an autoethnographic account, I convey my experiences as a person with impairments from spina bifida in order to problematize current preventive efforts undertaken to eradicate this birth defect. This self-reflexive account connects my personal experiences to historical and medical views about spina bifida. The messages inherent in preventive efforts are discussed from a disability rights perspective. Occupational therapists are challenged to examine their attitudes toward disability, act as advocates in their practice, and, in a more informed manner, support or contest policy initiatives.
Neville-Jan
Ann
A
Department of Occupational Science and Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, CHP-133, Los Angeles, California 90089-9003, USA. aneville@usc.edu
D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000266:history / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000534:rehabilitation