OSOT ONLINE - WEBSITE ORIENTATION

Welcome to the OSOT website! Our goals and purpose for the website remain unchanged – to be the best online professional resource for Ontario occupational therapists – but we’ve introduced lots of changes to make getting around the site and finding what you need easier. And… we’ve added new resources as evidence of our continuing commitment to keep enriching the Members Only resources targeted to support your practice.

Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the resources of the site. It’s like any reference resource… best to know the kinds of information you can find so that you’ll know to check back when you need it. The orientation sessions are intended to introduce you to various sections and resources of the site and won’t take long!

The Orientation Sessions will introduce you to;

OSOT Online Orientation – Part 1

• OSOT Online‘s new homepage has a whole new look and organization! The homepage is designed to help you find out what’s new quickly and to find what you want easily. We’ve also incorporated a more visual look for occupational therapy so that our public visitors can view occupational therapy as the client-centred, engaging profession that it is! Thank you to members who contributed photos to our photo contest 2003…. you’ve lent a new vision to the website!
  
  
• Our new design gives you immediate access to news and information that changes regularly making it always worthwhile to visit frequently.
  
  
• The News and Events feature on the left side of the page will be an ever-changing update of news and issues affecting you as a member of OSOT and as an OT in Ontario. Check this listing regularly – a quick stop to keep apprised of what’s new and going on! Don’t forget to check for “more….” when it’s a topic of interest. Explore this option to find out the most current additions to the site.
  
  
• The Features section on the right side of the page is a quick and easy source for some of our most commonly sought after resources or information. No searching … just click for immediate access. You’ve accessed this feature to find the orientation.
  
  
• The menu links across the top give you the key sections of the site through which you can navigate. To help you know where you really want to go, each button’s drop-down menus give you a listing of what’s in each section. Simply click on the topic of interest and you’re there! Why not just scroll across the menu buttons to see what type of information your site holds for you.
  
  
• Member log-in is right on the homepage! No longer is the reminder that there are loads of resources just for members hidden. Access the homepage and you can sign in as a member right away and have access to the whole site. Our Members Only Section is important – we are a membership organization and there definitely are benefits of membership!
  
  
• Your log-in username is your last name and your password is your OSOT member number. Easy! Have problems? Contact John Crawford at jcrawford@osot.on.ca.
  
  
• Can’t find something? Search! Note the “Search” feature in the upper left hand corner. Simply type in what you are looking for and any references on the site will be listed for your consideration. Try and experiment…. What might you wish to look for? (Remember that if you haven’t logged into Members Only these pages won’t be accessible to you until you have signed in.)
  
  
• Check out the public side of the site – browse About OSOT, About OT, OT in Ontario , Services and Products and Workshops and Courses and Weblinks. As you browse the pages you’ll note that they are populated with links (words underlined) which when clicked will take you deeper into the site for even more information. Any time you want to go back a page or two you can use the tagged links across the top of the text section. Note that you can get back to the homepage at any time by clicking “home”. We invite you to visit these sections – a good overview of the Society and its services (you may learn something!) and OT in Ontario. We apologize if you find some pages still under development. A website is almost always a work in progress… we’re still working!
  
  
• You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download some of our resources. You can download a free copy of this software from the homepage. Just click and follow the instructions for installation on your system.
  
  
• Note the sidebars to the left as you browse. Each page’s sidebar hosts a message relevant to that section - a quick reminder, an answer to a commonly asked question, etc. In the public side of the site, many of the sidebars remind visitors of the benefits of membership. Why? Because we’re always working for you and trying to enrich our membership base so that we can serve all members better and keep costs down. Don’t hesitate to refer your colleagues to the site!
  
  
• Want to print a page? Make it easy on your printer! On each page check the left hand sidebar for a printer graphic. Click on this and you’ll have a printer friendly page.
  
  
• Website Disclaimer is a good page to read. Locate the link in the middle of the homepage. It’s good to keep in mind all the things that OSOT Online is not – we simply cannot be all things for all people.
  
  
• Your site is fully accessible to persons with disabilities! We felt this was important…..surely for an OT site! Please note, however, that one implication of the accessibility features is that the site may view differently on different systems. If you have any problems, we want to hear about them! Contact John at jcrawford@osot.on.ca

We think that attention to these features will provide a good basic orientation to the structure and function of the site. Have fun browsing.!

Please never hesitate to send us feedback or to make suggestions for new information or resources.

OSOT Online Orientation – Part 2
Introducing the “Members Only” Section of the Site

Protecting your membership privileges!

An important feature that OSOT’s website has always featured is a password protected “Members Only” section. This assures our members that their membership support is both recognized and valued. Members deserve value – OSOT Online is our members’ online professional resource. And now….the site is even more effectively resourced with more nformation and practice tools to support your practice in Ontario!

Accessing your Membership Resources – just log in when you arrive at the site!

A good habit to develop in visiting OSOT Online is to log in when you arrive at the homepage. Log in procedures are simple! See the log in box in the upper right corner. You’re asked for your last name and member number.

Note that if you are using a dedicated computer you can save your log in data to facilitate entry on subsequent visits. If you share your computer with other people it is best not to use this ready access feature.

Once you’ve successfully logged in, you will see a prompt telling you are logged in and from here on you will be able to access all parts of the site. If you don’t log in when you arrive at the homepage and select a feature that is protected in the “Members Only” section you will be reminded that you need to log in.

** If you have any problems logging in please contact the OSOT Office.

Membership Information and Resources at your fingertips!

Your “Members’ Only” section contents can be viewed in the drop down menu across the top of your page. Main sections include;

For resources you’ll wish to reference often, why note “bookmark” the page. You’re also welcome to print pages – remember that printer friendly versions of any page can be accessed by clicking the printer icon in the left sidebar – this will ensure a perfect print!

Please know that much of the content within Practice Resources is OSOT developed content and represents the work of volunteer teams who work on your behalf. We remain indebted to the contributions of our members and know you will value their generosity! Where links are noted to other sites, please be reminded of our site disclaimer – we are not responsible for content referenced in alternate sites.

These pages represent “living documents” – we hope they’ll be constantly changing and evolving as new information and needs emerge. You’ll note that some sections remain incomplete – not for long, but thanks for your patience!

OT Interest Group List - networking is important and strategic! Your OT Interest Group List provides a listing and contact information for interest groups and networks of interest to OTs across the province.

OSOT Research Fund Applications - OSOTRF Awards are only available to OSOT members so our application materials are best housed here.

PR Strategy - Promotion of the profession of occupational therapy is a key strategic priority and important to our members. This section of member resources shares OSOT’s plans and activities for professional promotion and provides access to a variety of promotional products to support your professional promotion activities. Many of OSOT’s resources are available to download and use – flyers, career recruitment kits, photographs, etc. See the section on the Grassroots Marketing Fund for ways OSOT can support your product/activity development initiatives.

Address Changes – keeping the membership database current is one of the biggest priorities of any association. Visit here anytime your address, telephone number or email address change to keep us posted!

OT’s Inter@act - this is the interactive component of our website. More about this terrific networking and interacting tool in Orientation III.

Downloading Resources from OSOT Online

We’ve tried to resource the Members’ Only section of the site with lots of resources. Visiting regularly and using the site as your resource filing system minimizes the need to download resources. However, you’re welcome to download whatever you find useful! For most resources you’ll require Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be downloaded without cost.

Finding Resources in Members’ Only - when in doubt ... Search!

There is a wealth of information on the site and we trust this volume will continue to increase. We’ve tried to lay resources out in a logical manner but… if you can’t find something, use the Search feature at the top of the left hand sidebar.