Stories from the field: reflections on occupational therapy experiences in Haiti following the earthquake

Abstract

This article is based upon reflections of an occupational therapist who worked in Haiti for three months following the devastating earthquake on January 12th, 2010. The therapist worked for an international non-government organisation, CBM (formerly called Christian Blind Mission), as part of their post-earthquake rehabilitation team. Occupational therapy services were rendered at several sites across the capital city of Port-au-Prince as well as in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps. Drawing on stories of persons with disabilities, these reflections highlight how therapists and persons with disabilities alike can learn from those who mastered the complex process of occupational adaptation in challenging environments. It furthermore explores the issue of vulnerability of persons with disabilities in low resource contexts and describes a therapist’s anxieties when things go wrong. Finally, the matter of dealing with loss, inherent to disaster response work, is discussed from a personal perspective.