PMG's 2009 National Training Event: Call for Instructional Course Proposals

Proposals are invited for part or full-day pre-conference instructional courses/workshops for the 2009 National Training Event on posture & wheelchair mobility taking place at Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick in April 2009. This is an exciting opportunity to address fundamental and new information and techniques in considerable detail at appropriate levels.

In order to be able to assess the proposals in a timely and fair manner, we are requesting that proposals comply with the format outlined below. An example proposal is also provided below.

Please send your proposal on a Word document as an email attachment to olwen.ellis@pmguk.co.uk by 30th September 2008.

Format for submitting your proposal

Name(s) of course presenter(s):

Course title:

Part day/Full Day: (Part day is 3 hours; full day approximately 6 hours)

Instructional level of course content: Basic - appropriate for those within the first 3 years of their seating/posture/mobility experience, Intermediate - for those with 1-4 years experience Advanced - for those with at least 3 years experience

Course Description: (up to 200 words):

Presenter biography(ies): Max 200 words each

Webcasting permission: If your proposal is successful, you will be requested to give permission for Posture and Mobility Group to archive the presentation on its website for viewing by PMG members and members of affiliated organisations.

Entitlements: PMG will offer a fee of £100 for part-day and £200 for full-day courses, together with dinner, bed & breakfast and accommodation on the Warwick University Campus on 15th April 2009. Reimbursement of return travel costs will be paid: APEX air fares; standard rail fares; 25p per mile if travelling by car. Lunch and refreshments will also be provided on 15th April.

We reserve the right to cancel courses if there is insufficient interest.

Example proposal

Course Title:

Duration: 5.5 hours instructional time

Course aim and learning outcomes The purpose of this course is to provide an opportunity for experienced seating practitioners to examine one of the most common postural seating problems in depth, using a biomechanical, client-centred approach to both analysis and intervention planning. Participants will learn how to use biomechanical principles and advanced problem solving in the analysis of posterior pelvic tilt, extensor thrust and sliding, thereby improving their ability to select and apply appropriate seating technologies for clients with moderate to severe posture and movement dysfunction. Seating intervention strategies are discussed so that at the end of the course, participants should be better equipped to determine the equipment properties that are required to address the individual*s objectives, rather than simply choosing specific product solutions.

Instructor: Name, M.A., P.T. has 20 years clinical experience as a physical therapist, seating specialist and educator, specializing in the assessment and provision of wheelchair seating equipment for children and adults with moderate to severe physical challenges. She was the Seating Specialist in the Department of Rehabilitation Technology at Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, New Jersey for 11 years before her move to Colorado. Ms. Name is currently involved in many professional endeavours related to wheelchair seating and therapeutic positioning, including her employment with The Children*s Hospital of Denver managing a Sleep Positioning Clinic, and with Assistive Technology Partners/University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where she is developing an adult Wheelchair Seating and Mobility service. Ms. Name has been actively involved in RESNA - The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America for many years. She has been a popular instructor at the annual RESNA National Conference since 1991, and she is a current active member and past chair of the RESNA/ISO Wheelchair Seating Standards Working Group that is developing international standards for seating terminology and postural measurement. Ms. Name also continues to present workshops and seminars on Wheelchair Seating to varied audiences worldwide.