Speakers

Dr. Tal Jarus, PhD (OT), MA (OT), BOT, FCAOT

I believe everyone has the right to be an occupational human being. “The personal is political” – whether I am playing basketball, biking, cooking with my children, reading, watching a movie with my partner, talking to my mother, working on a research project, or marking an assignment – I am always occupied. I believe that everyone has the right to participate in meaningful occupations.

Our world is facing serious problems that affect the occupational performance of many people: violence, wars, chronic diseases, unemployment, poverty, and lack of acceptance and tolerance toward groups of people who differ from us. I am interested in looking at the relationship between the person, the environment and the occupation, to enhance health and well being of individuals and of society as a whole. That’s why I am an occupational therapy scientist!

Holly Reid, MOT

I am an occupational therapist and PhD candidate living on the lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. My research involves exploring the relationship between intersections of identity and the systems of power that influence occupational opportunities and participation. More specifically, the community-based research I engage in was co-created with 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous community members across so-called Vancouver and Victoria regions, and places relationships and community at the centre. I aim to approach challenging conversations with humility and gratitude, acknowledging that everyone has a role to play in changing systems of power, while also recognizing we all hold a set of beliefs that motivate our stance and path forward.

Dr. Laura Bulk, PhD, MOT, BSW

With sincere gratitude I acknowledge that I am a Dutch settler and am privileged to belong among, be in relationship with, and engage in meaningful occupations on the unceded, ancestral, and continually occupied territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), Tsleil-Waututh (Slay-wa-tuth), and W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) Peoples. 

At age 16, based on my experience in the disability community, I articulated what I wanted to do with my career:

“I want to come alongside other Disabled people to gain the skills and confidence to live the lives they desire.”

Through some serendipitous situations, I walked the path of getting my undergraduate education in anti-oppressive social work. The elders, students, and faculty from whom I learned in this process helped shape my perspective as I moved into the Master of Occupational Therapy program. 

My teaching and scholarship are not the only meaningful occupations in my life. I find great joy in preparing food for a small gathering, a meeting with colleagues, or an even in my spiritual community. And if you wonder where I am at any moment, there is a good chance I am walking/rolling with a friend – walking is my favourite mode of being.