Cathy Carver, a Mississippi native, graduated with a B.S. in PT from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1996. She completed a M.S. in PT from the University of Tennessee at Memphis in 2000 with an emphasis in Adult Neurology. Gratefully, she completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2023 from the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN. Her career began at UAB in inpatient neuro rehab from 1996 until 2003. From 2003 to 2005, she worked in Jackson, MS in inpatient rehabilitation within the Spinal Cord Injury unit. RESNA credentialed her as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) in 2004 and as a Seating and Mobility Specialist (SMS) in 2011.
Since 2010, Cathy has been a member of the Clinician Task Force (CTF), a national group of physical and occupational therapists. Cathy was named the Executive Director of CTF from 2018-2020. Since 2007, Carver has taught courses and delivered lectures on wheelchairs and seating throughout the southeast. She has presented nationally at AOTA, the National ALS Conference, and the International Seating Symposium. She worked with colleagues to publish articles in 2021 and 2022 on the topics of wheelchairs and seating and disability advocacy using CRWM. Carver has been an advocate for people who need complex rehab technology (i.e. custom wheelchairs) at the state and national level.
In 2016, she founded the “Come Roll With Me” program to increase awareness about people who use wheelchairs initially for school-aged kids. Since then, over 700 Birmingham-area students have participated in experiences with “Come Roll With Me.” Through partnerships with colleagues, “Come Roll With Me” has expanded in various capacities and for all ages. This includes workshops for the UAB School of Nursing and collaborative simulation events with the UAB School of Medicine and School of Physical Therapy, and even classes for AT Alabama Conference and Children’s Hospital of Alabama Grand Rounds.
Directions Magazine featured her in their “Clinically Speaking” article in 2018. She was honored with the Marilyn Gossman Award for “Professionalism in Physical Therapy” in 2018 and later the UAB Medicine Clinical Excellence Award in 2019. She received the “Innovations in Physical Therapy” award from The Alabama Physical Therapy Association in 2024 for her work with “Come Roll With Me”.
Cathy is currently employed by UAB since her return to Alabama in 2005. She resides in Hoover, AL with her husband Jeff, and their two children, Claire and Joel. In her free time, she enjoys supporting her kid’s sports teams and being outside.
