Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Wins Prestigious Innovation Award

Gaithersburg, MD: The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT®) announces Denny Moyer, BS, COTA/L, a certified occupational therapy assistant from Fort Collins has won the 2022 NBCOT Innovation Award. This award recognizes certified occupational therapy (OT) practitioners who demonstrate the delivery of an evidence-based, effective, and innovative program or intervention that enhances the quality of life for a person or persons.

Denny received the NBCOT Innovation Award for developing a comprehensive low-vision rehabilitation program, Ensight Skills Center, for people who are visually impaired. Denny’s colleague Melody Bettenhausen nominated Denny for the award. Ensight provides vision rehabilitation services to help clients with low vision utilize their remaining vision to complete their activities of daily living and to age in place safely and actively.

Clients receive care from an occupational therapist and an optometrist, both of whom work with each client and their family to meet specific goals. Intervention plans incorporate tools and strategies to support the client’s safety, quality of life, and mental health. Ensight Skills Center demonstrates an innovative approach to low vision care as evidenced by their provision of a robust suite of services and education including mobile training kits used in conjunction with telehealth visits. Services provided include OT home visits, vocational training, orientation and mobility, and skills training. Ensight has helped over 100,000 people throughout Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, as well as several individuals from around the world.

Denny earned her national OT certification in 1994. She is the chief executive officer of Ensight Skills Center and Curtis Strong Center for Visual Rehabilitation. She leads a team of 17 staff members and manages eight Ensight locations throughout Colorado. Beyond her work with Ensight, Denny is a member of the Data and Research subcommittee of the Aging and Vision Loss National Coalition. She also collaborates with other low-vision professionals throughout the U.S. to develop education and standards for occupational therapists to learn low vision in academic settings. She has served on the boards of the VisionServe Alliance and Foundation Fighting Blindness. For more information about the NBCOT Innovation Award, visit nbcot.org/awards.

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT®) is a national not-for-profit organization that provides certification to over 213,000 occupational therapy professionals. NBCOT develops, administers, and continually reviews its certification process based on current and valid standards that provide reliable indicators of competence of occupational therapy practice. Above all else, our mission is to serve the public interest. Initial certification from NBCOT is a requirement for licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. We also work with state regulators and employers to provide information on credentials, professional conduct, and regulatory issues. NBCOT’s certification programs have received and maintained accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).