Dr. Alexandra Wagner

Dr. Alex Wagner is a clinical assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at the Katz School of Science and Health. She conducts research on a variety of topics, including aging in place, dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, disability studies, human geography and occupational engagement. She currently is an occupational therapist with St. James Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in St. James, N.Y., and the Momentum at South Bay for Rehabilitation and Nursing in East Islip, N.Y. Dr. Wagner holds a doctoral degree in health and rehabilitation sciences from SUNY Stony Brook, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in occupational therapy and health studies, respectively, from Utica College. One of the things that drew me to occupational therapy is getting the opportunity to work with a variety of people, including those with disabilities. We seek to promote their independence, quality of life and engagement in valued occupations; however, to effectively work with this group of people, we need to be appropriately informed about living with a disability and the disabled person’s experience. To be a competent occupational therapist in this area, we need to understand their strengths, their challenges and the barriers they face throughout life. To be fully informed in these areas, occupational therapists should be learning from and engaging with the field of disability studies. Disability studies seeks to integrate people with disabilities in all areas of life and ensure they are equal members of society, in spite of the oppression, social exclusion and stigma they face today and have throughout history. Disability studies addresses these sources of oppression and marginalization through research and activism, and it places the stories and experiences that people with disabilities face at the forefront of research because they are the experts in their own lives. In my experience of working with people with disabilities, I learned that the notion of independence, of being able to do everything by yourself, is not always the most important aspect of a person’s life. I also believe that listening to people’s stories before they start receiving treatment is important because the experience of having a disability is different for everyone. Although this seems obvious, people with disabilities were not always thought in this way. Their experiences were not sought out or used by professionals to spur change in society and the way living with a disability was viewed. Disability studies and occupational therapy seek to promote inclusion—one of the many reasons that integrating the field of disability studies into occupational therapy education is valuable. Occupational therapists can learn valuable knowledge from disabilities studies that can and should be integrated into practice. As a professor in the program, I hold an advanced certificate in disability studies and I integrate disabilities literature and the personal experiences of the disabled into the classroom. Someone is only disabled by structural or attitudinal barriers in society; the disability doesn't reside in the individual. That perspective informs the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at the Katz School of Science and Health, and it guarantees that the students in our program will receive an education grounded in the timeless values of respect, empathy and compassion that are the hallmark of a professional occupational therapist.