Francisco Lasta, OTR/L: OT in Inclusive Design
In this post, we will learn from Francisco Lasta, OTR/L (he/him). Francisco is a licensed Occupational Therapist who specializes in Inclusive Design. With over a decade of working with people with a variety of disabilities of all ages and socio-economic statuses, his expertise in human-centered design, task analysis, and accessibility gives him a uniquely empathetic and functional perspective when it comes to architecture and design. Combined with his solid knowledge of UX, he is passionate about helping designers create spaces that are accessible and usable by all people. As M2’s Marketing Strategist, Francisco closely collaborates with M2’s talented architects and designers to develop and execute marketing campaigns and helps with business development to explore, establish, and strengthen strategic partnerships. He is passionate about how M2 can uniquely position and differentiate itself during project pursuits as he leads the firm’s strategic planning meetings. He reinforces this role with his tech savviness and keeping himself updated on emerging industry trends.
Q & A with Francisco:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations.
It depends on the season but I regularly swim, read, and take care of my plants. Recently I have been dabbling with generative AI and my recent love: improv.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
To widen the audience's view of what other things OTs can do.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve and the needs that you address.
I'm heavily involved in the inclusive design initiative of our architecture firm.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
My passion for the impact of design in our day-to-day lives and how the design of our public spaces influences how people perform their occupations.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
As an OTP, I've always been interested in the environmental influence on human performance. I have been seeking for avenues that would allow me to do this. But opportunities out there are so rare. So when the opportunity came for me to join as a marketing strategist in an architecture firm, I took the chance.
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
It varies from day to day especially that I wear many hats in my role. I work with different teams—from our senior leadership to our junior design team and everything in between, including accounting and HR. On a regular basis, I work closely with our president, managing principal, and proposal coordinator. We communicate regularly as we examine and make decisions on current and potential project pursuits. With my role in inclusive design, I provide ongoing training sessions on inclusive design to our core DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) group to deepen their familiarity with the value of inclusive design and the different processes required to integrate it into our projects. I recently presented the draft of our firm’s inclusive design guidelines. It is still a work in progress, and it will be further developed with our team of architects and designers. I also contribute my expertise during the conceptual phase of certain projects by participating in design charrettes. These collaborative sessions allow me to provide a different perspective through an OT lens to ensure spaces are designed holistically with accessibility in mind from the outset.
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Recent highs: Our firm winning multi-million dollar projects. In project pursuits, I'm involved in preparing proposals as well as facilitating interview practice when our firm gets shortlisted. For our inclusive design initiative: being able to partner with OT programs in our local universities.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
I attend conferences, do online training courses, and engage with experts in the field.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
When I started with the current role, the salary was lower than what I made in the clinical setting, but I didn't mind because I enjoyed the cool things that I got to do, it's not as life and death kind of stressful, and it's a hybrid work schedule. And I learned SO many new things compared to my previous jobs where it was more of a routine.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
Be brave to follow what you're truly passionate about even if it means you'll have to start as a beginner.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
My role is pretty new, so I’m not sure if there are already myths or misconceptions about it.
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you and promote your unique work?
Our website www.muller2.com and
My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flastaotr/
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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