Supporting student physiotherapists to eXtend their disability understanding
Highlighting the role of physiotherapists as advocates for people with disability through pilot program for physiotherapy students.

Our Physiotherapy team have been supporting future generations of therapists to provide quality services to people with a disability, sharing their expertise through clinical placements, lecture presentations, and tutorials.
This year, we were invited by the University of Melbourne to design and deliver an ‘eXtend’, module that demonstrated to students how physiotherapists use clinical reasoning and a Human Rights framework to advocate for supports for people with a disability.
The ‘eXtend’ module was delivered as part of an inaugural pilot program within the Integrated Professional Practice B (IPP-B) subject for final year physiotherapy students, that aims to prepare them for their transition to practice by extending and deepening their knowledge in a particular area of interest.
Highlighting the role of physiotherapists as advocates for people with disability
In early August, Claire Dowling, Senior Clinical Physiotherapist and Jodi James, Professional Lead – Physiotherapy, delivered the four-hour eXtend tutorial ‘Effective funding for neurodisability: NDIS and Assistive Technology’.
The aim of the module was to highlight the role of physiotherapists as advocates for people with disability to access funding for assistive technology (and/or therapy), to support them to live the life they choose, and participate in everyday activities.
Claire and Jodi drew on their experiences at Yooralla to provide case examples during the session, to support the students to bring their learning to life. This enabled them to actively consider how a physiotherapist uses evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning to complete an NDIS Assistive Technology funding application and therapy report. These skills and knowledge will be very useful for those starting their careers in community-based services.
The module content was well received by an engaged cohort of students, with Claire and Jodi looking forward to strengthening their tutorials for next year’s student cohort, based on the feedback provided by the students participating in the pilot program.
It was a great opportunity to showcase the quality of the work Yooralla does in the community, as well as supporting future generations of therapists learn how they too can provide quality services to people with a disability.

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Join us at Yooralla to make a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals with disability, embracing a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and excellence in allied health practice.