Disability Studies and Occupational Therapy: Renewing the Call for Change.

Disability studies (DS) is an interdisciplinary field grounded in a minority studies philosophy that approaches disability as a socially constructed phenomenon. The first special issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy on DS was published in 2005. The present issue serves as a follow-up to highlight opportunities for and examples of DS integration into occupational therapy education, research, and practice.

Indicators of Quality Rehabilitation Services for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency: A 3-Round Delphi Study.

Objective: To obtain expert consensus on indicators of quality rehabilitation services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Design: Three-round Delphi study.

Setting: Delphi survey conducted online with 30 experts.

Medicaid Redetermination and Renewal Experiences of Limited English Proficient Beneficiaries in Illinois.

Medicaid beneficiaries in most states must go through a redetermination process every 6-12 months to demonstrate continued eligibility. This study sought to examine Medicaid redetermination experiences among beneficiaries with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). A sequential mixed methods study was conducted involving quantitative phone surveys and semi-structured, in-person interviews with Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese speaking beneficiaries in Illinois.

Walking the talk: understanding how language barriers affect the delivery of rehabilitation services.

Purpose: Individuals who lack proficiency in the dominant language of their region experience difficulty accessing healthcare and exhibit poorer health outcomes. Utilization of professional interpreters can improve health services and outcomes for this population. Most existing studies focus on medical settings, with very little research about language barriers in rehabilitation services such as occupational and physical therapy.

Working With Clients With Limited English Proficiency: Mapping Language Access in Occupational Therapy.

Nearly one in ten US residents have difficulty speaking and understanding English and are deemed to have limited English proficiency (LEP). Despite federal mandates for provision of interpreters and other language access services, individuals with LEP experience notable health disparities. Occupational therapists must be prepared to equitably serve this population, however there is a dearth of research evidence and practical recommendations about our profession's readiness to serve this growing population.

Community perspectives on substance use among Bhutanese and Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States.

Premigration trauma and postmigration stressors put refugees at high risk for mental health concerns, including substance use. However, there is limited systematic research on substance use in refugee communities exists. We conducted exploratory qualitative research to examine Bhutanese and Iraqi refugee perspectives related to the use of recreational substances after resettlement in the United States.