ICDR-Armenia
About
About the Team:
ICDR- Armenia brings together researchers, clinicians, and students to exchange ideas, build networks, and sustainably advance rehabilitation and disability services in Armenia. We work in partnership with Therapists for Armenia (TFA), a nonprofit organization made up of multidisciplinary volunteers across USA and Canada from the fields of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and other allied health disciplines.
Therapists for Armenia focuses on building local rehabilitation capacity through training, mentorship, and interdisciplinary research, while promoting inclusive and evidence-informed care. Together, we aim to strengthen global partnerships that foster knowledge exchange and professional growth, translating research into practical applications that improve real-world outcomes for people in Armenia.
Purpose
The mission of ICDR-Armenia is to advance the fields of occupational, physical, and speech therapy, to promote inclusion of people with disabilities, and to foster well-being within Armenian communities through education, collaboration, support, and advocacy.
- Vision: We aim to shift societal perceptions and attitudes towards disability and rehabilitation within Armenian communities through sustainable, equitable, accessible, and evidence-based approaches.
- Core Values: Inclusion, Sustainability, Equity, Accessibility, Evidence-based practice, Collaboration, Advocacy.
Leadership
- Founder, Executive Director: Armineh Babikian, MS, OTR/L
- Vice President: Melina Allahverdian, OTD, OTR/L.
- Treasurers: Lusine Karapetyan, BS, MSHA, PT, DPT & Nathalie Halajian, MS, SLP-CCC
- Secretary: Kristine Movsisian, MS, SLP-CCC/GC-ASD
Members:
- Volunteers consist of multidisciplinary rehab clinicians (OT/PT/SLP) and students across USA and Canada. Volunteers contribute to resource creation, webinars, case discussions, service trips, fundraising, advocacy, and education.
History
Since 2019, TFA launched Armenia’s first rehab resource library, led humanitarian donations, co-founded a post-professional rehab fellowship, hosted a service & learning trip for North American volunteers, and implemented Project ECHO for collaborative case discussions.
- Post-Conflict Virtual Symposium (2021): In July 2021, TFA collaborated with Armenian American Sports Medicine Coalition (AASMC) and the International Center of Professional Development to host the first ever post-conflict rehab conference, featuring speakers from WHO, Columbia University, Duke University, University of Toronto, and the American Physical Therapy Association. The event included topics on emergency care to community reintegration and drew 430 participants from 8 countries.
- Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Fellowship (2022–2023): TFA and AASMC launched the Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Fellowship (IRF) for Armenia & Artsakh, supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Armenia, Polaris EduCorp, and Health Network for Armenia (HENAR). Nearly 30 providers from medicine, PT, OT and SLP participated in the 10-month hybrid program. Fellows gained training on adult and post-conflict rehabilitation system strengthening, including clinical skills, advocacy, research, teaching methods, and more.
- Assistive Technology Guides (2024): In partnership with Disability Rights Agenda NGO and Texas Woman’s University Occupational Therapy Students, TFA produced the first feeding and dressing assistive-technology guides in the Armenian language to support displaced Armenians following ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.
- Resource library (ongoing): The free resource library launched in 2021 to support post-conflict needs in Armenia. The resources include clinical assessments, interventions, patient and caregiver education, and social stories. Currently, the e-library has over 3000 users from 65 countries.
- Webinars (ongoing): TFA members have hosted various bilingual webinars, including Assistive Technology for Feeding and Dressing, Autism & Assistive Technology for Inclusive Education, Communication & Behavior Management, and the Role of Rehabilitation in Independent Living.
- ICF Disability Assessment Research (ongoing): This qualitative study evaluates therapists’ experiences with Armenia’s new ICF-based disability determination process, which was launched in 2023. Research is ongoing, preliminary results were presented at the OT Europe Congress in Poland.
- Humanitarian donations (ongoing): Inclusive-education supplies for the Stepanavan Psycho-pedagogical Regional Centre; burn rehab supplies to the National Burn Center following the 2023 Artsakh Explosion; PT textbooks and rehabilitation supplies to the Armenia State Institute for Physical Culture and Sport; $6,000+ of therapeutic equipment donated during the Service & Learning trip across 5 regions of Armenia.
Partners
- Armenian ErgoTherapy Association
- Armenian Speech Therapy Association
- WHO Armenia Rehabilitation Task Force
- Louse Foundation Developmental Center
- Disability Rights Agenda
- Stepanavan Psycho-pedagogical Regional Centre
- We Can NGO
- Meghri Rehabilitation Centre
- ArmBionics
- National Autism Foundation/”My Way” Socio-Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Day Care Center
- National Institute of Health (NIH) Armenia
- Health Network for Armenia
Available Opportunities for Students
- Support fundraising & marketing activities: help to organize virtual and in-person fundraising initiatives, create social media posts to spread awareness about organization initiatives and innovations related to rehabilitation and disability
- Support education & outreach activities: help to organize collaborative learning opportunities for North American & Armenian members, moderate case discussions & guest speaker presentations, contribute to monthly e-newsletter
Current Projects
- Azad 3D- 3D Printed Equipment for Independent Living: This project is in collaboration with our partners in Armenia- Disability Rights Agenda, ArmBionics, Lousé Foundation & Developmental Centre. This project aims to make assistive technology more accessible and affordable for Armenians in need by leveraging 3D printing. This is the first program of its kind to create adaptive equipment for daily activities in-country.
- ICF Disability Assessment Research: Ongoing research project looking at the experiences of rehabilitation professionals in the new ICF disability determination process launched in Armenia in 2023. The results will be shared with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to improve policy and staff training.
- Capacity Building for Meghri Rehabilitation Centre: Therapists for Armenia has partnered with the Meghri Rehabilitation Center (opened in 2024) to expand and systematize occupational therapy in southern Armenia. This collaboration builds better evaluation and intervention processes. This collaboration helps close a major access gap caused by distance and difficult mountain roads, advancing equitable rehab services in Meghri and the surrounding region.
- Project ECHO to advance rehabilitation in remote regions: Project ECHO is a case-based education model that delivers evidence-based mentorship to rehabilitation specialists in Armenia.
Presentations and Publications
- Ghazaryan, T., Iskandaryan, L., Babikian, V. A., & Kovic, M. (2025). EXPERIENCES OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE WHO ICF MODEL FOR DISABILITY DETERMINATION IN ARMENIA. Armenian Journal of Special Education, 9(1), 90–109. https://doi.org/10.24234/se.v9i1.48 https://specedjournal.aspu.am/index.php/se/article/view/48
- The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
- Armenian Weekly
- AGBU
- Birthright Armenia
Presentations
- World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) (2022): TFA’s founder Armineh Babikian and Advocacy & Marketing Coordinator Jennifer Thompson presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy 2022 Congress in Paris. Their talk, “Innovation from America to Armenia: Providing Remote Education for Rehabilitation Clinicians in Armenia Treating Acquired Amputation During Post-Armed Conflict” outlined TFA’s post-conflict webinar series, key outcomes, challenges, and next steps to strengthen rehab services in Armenia and Artsakh.
- 1st Occupational Therapy Europe Congress (ENOTEC) (2024): TFA founding director Armineh Babikian and IRF fellow Tatev Ghazaryan delivered the only Armenia-focused OT presentation at the ENOTEC 2024. Their talk was on therapists’ experiences implementing the ICF in Armenia’s new (2023) disability determination system and shared preliminary findings from an ongoing study that began as Ghazaryan’s capstone in the NIH Armenia Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Fellowship co-founded by TFA.
- American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) (2024): TFA founder/director Armineh Babikian spoke as an invited panelist at American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Annual Assembly on humanitarian rehab in conflict zones, covering Armenia’s rehab development, the 2020–present Artsakh conflict, and TFA’s humanitarian work.
- Workshops in Armenia (2024): On a 10-day Service & Learning trip, five TFA volunteers delivered 10 hands-on rehabilitation workshops and 7 case discussions across 4 regions, collaborating with 110 therapists and service providers. Sessions were hosted at centers such as COAF, Kosh Rehabilitation Center, National Burn Center, My Way, Emili Aregak, Alzheimer’s Care Armenia, EREO, and Vanadzor Medical Center.
Podcasts/Media
Contact Us
For more information, please contact the Chair (Armineh Babikian) at babikian@therapistsforarmenia.org