Editor's Note

Works in Progress

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Aug 01, 2021

One of my favorite quotes is from the 2019 satire Jojo Rabbit, starring Roman Griffin Davis as the young title character. Toward the end of the film, a world-weary Jojo tries to give himself a pep talk: “Jojo Betzler. Ten-and-a-half years old. Today, just do what you can.”

Progress is often like that. It’s not an explosive gallop. It’s more like a walk, a laborious one. Through maple syrup, on some days. Or hardening concrete.

But slow progress is progress, and in Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), steady and consistent adherence to a positioning plan, for example, can work wonders one day at a time. Check out our story on 24/7 postural management (page 16) to see the difference that providing consistent support can make.

Don’t miss our story on custom-molded seating (page 26). I’d always considered custom-molded seating to be a last resort for clients with the most complex postures… but the interviewees for this story completely changed my mind. I now know that custom seating isn’t a desperation move; it’s an option that can open up new possibilities for progress for both client and caregivers. I dare you to read those interviews without getting enthusiastic about custom seating.

And sometimes in the midst of steady, determined movement forward, you’ll get what feels like a bolt from the blue. In a single memorable week in July, CRT notched a pair of big policy wins (see MMBeat, page 6) thanks to the continuing work of CRT advocates.

On Sept. 21, we all get the chance to advocate for this industry and its end users and families. Sept. 21 is the day of the NCART/NRRTS-sponsored CRT Virtual Fly-In. For just $30 (or $15 for consumers), you can meet via video conference with Representatives, Senators, and their staffs to directly tell them why you believe in CRT. The impact it can have. The lives it can change. The lives you change every day with the work that you do.

Because of the pandemic, there’s no flying to Washington, D.C., this year. No in-person meetings on Capitol Hill. But at the same time, this virtual fly-in — no travel required, super-low registration fee — could make it possible for more people to participate. So… this is still progress. Visit the NCART Web site (www.ncart.us) to register.

Occasionally, progress is measurable, dramatic, or immediate. But most of the time, progress is a long and tedious process. We have good days, but we have many days in which progress will simply be doing what we can.

The good news is that slow progress is progress. So keep doing the good work you’re doing. Keep thinking creatively. Keep encouraging your colleagues, partners, and clients. Keep advocating for inclusion and for the basic human right to move. And keep teaching those on Capitol Hill. You are making a difference.

This article originally appeared in the Jul/Aug 2021 issue of Mobility Management.