SLU Occupational Therapy Starts New Chapter of Diversity Group
02/09/2021
A group of Saint Louis University (SLU) Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy students recently founded a SLU chapter of the national group Coalition for Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD).
The mission of SLU COTAD is to empower occupational therapy leaders to engage in practices that increase diversity, equity and inclusion for a more transformative occupational therapy profession. Currently, the SLU COTAD chapter operates as a sub-group of SLU’s Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) but will be working towards becoming an independent group this year.
Drashti Topiwala, a junior in Doisy College for Health Sciences, started working with members of the OT faculty in May to launch the group for the 2020-21 school year.
President and founder of the SLU COTAD chapter Drashti Topiwala started working with member of the OT faculty in May 2020 to launch the group in August. Topiwala explained what motivated the creation of the SLU COTAD group.
“Social justice has always been a passion of mine since I grew up in a predominately white suburban neighborhood and was one of the only people of color. Seeing my parents receive racist remarks and experiencing them as well has exposed me to many different situations of injustice,” said Topiwala, who also serves as the president of SLU’s COTAD chapter. “I discovered COTAD, an organization working to raise awareness on diversity, equity, and inclusion in OT and to serve an increasingly diverse population. This motivated me to speak out and raise my voice against prejudice and I began to talk to faculty about starting this chapter.”
Peter Lenz, a senior in Doisy College and COTAD’s education chair, said the organization has plans for interested SLU OT students.
“COTAD is working hard to spread awareness to nearby schools for their students to consider the field of occupational therapy, but also to get our students more involved in the St. Louis community,” Lenz said. “We are working on bringing in guest speakers, creating meaningful conversations about embracing diversity, equity and inclusion that students can incorporate into their life and future work.”
Ultimately, Topiwala hopes that this organization can provide an environment of inclusion and of advocacy.
“I hope this chapter will create positive change and create a space for students to feel welcome. I hope that other students will feel inspired to be vocal about issues not only affecting them, but also impacting minorities around them,” Topiwala said. “I want to be part of a profession that stands up for occupational justice and is not afraid to fight systemic racism.”
Those interested in learning more can reach out to slu.cotad@gmail.com. For more information about events, follow on Instagram at @slu_cotad.
The national COTAD organization was founded by members of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) in 2014 with the mission to empower occupational therapy leaders to engage in practices that increase diversity, equity and inclusion for a more transformative occupational therapy profession. The group organizes speaking engagements, book clubs, leadership development, community outreach programs, inclusion promoting resources and much more.