A Challenge from the ‘Otherside of America’: Perspectives from a Black Clinician
In this stirring account, Oluremi Wanjiru Onifade and Sarah Caston present an honest and compelling look at the challenges within the physical therapy educational community for Black and brown people. Onifade paints a picture of her life growing up as a Kenyan/Nigerian queer-identifying Black American, and the obstacles she overcame on the path to her DPT. Her account ends where she challenges her colleague Caston: “There is a lack of representation of Black and brown people teaching in your PT program. Are you willing to do something?”
In response, Caston describes how that direct question changes her perception as an educator. She asks, “What does it look like for me, a white, heterosexual, cis-gender woman, to stand up to racism? And again, I ask, what does it look like for the profession of physical therapy to do the same?”
Alzheimer’s Disease and Emotions: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the Film “Still Alice”
Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents Background: Despite the fact that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) afflicts millions of people in the United States, most Americans do not come into contact with anyone who has the disease. Due to this lack of firsthand experience with AD, the general public’s understanding about the experiences of individuals living […]
The Intouchables, A Reflection on Disability and Caregiving: Who Helps Whom?
The Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano film “The Intouchables” poignantly challenges traditional perceptions of disability by asking viewers to contemplate what it truly means to live a full life. The film has served as a powerful educational tool for Sarah Caston, Assistant Professor in the Wingate University Department of Physical Therapy.
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly – From the Eye of the Unseen
Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was written by Jean Dominique Bauby, following a catastrophic stroke resulting in Locked In Syndrome. Locked In Syndrome (LIS), also known as “pseudocoma,” is caused by a severe brainstem stroke. The resulting physical effects include complete paralysis, except for sparing of […]
Murderball — A Metaphor for Recovery
In this expansion to the media review of the film, Murderball, Dr. Sarah Caston builds upon the films theme to share an intimate and deep reflection on her experiences with this patient population and her own personal evolution in this challenging area of practice.