Occupational Therapy Assistant Changing Lives Beyond the Clinic

Kendell Blunden, BA, COTA/L

Chief Operating Officer, LimbTech

Cofounder, Mobility Matters Foundation

Location: California

Certified in 2023

2025 NBCOT Impact Award Winner

A Journey Rooted in Service

As a Level II fieldwork student at LimbTech, a seating and positioning clinic based in western North Carolina, Kendall Blunden quickly exceeded expectations of a traditional placement. Using her vision and ingenuity, she became deeply involved in client care and created a role that ultimately evolved into her current position as chief operating officer. From California, where she works remotely, she now helps shape LimbTech’s client care, operations, and educational programs.

Kendell’s work is rooted in service, inclusion, and advocacy, creating spaces where clients feel seen, supported, and empowered. She has been instrumental in bringing specialized OT services to clients across North Carolina and beyond. Because of Kendell’s work, LimbTech now serves South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Oregon, and California, with Texas soon to join their expanding service area. She truly loves helping clients gain independence in their daily lives.

Her professionalism and collaborative spirit are also recognized by industry partners:

“Kendell checks all the boxes of a team member that you would want to have to help run a successful business. She lives across the country from where I live … and is always available at any time I have a question. Kendell is an exceptional communicator with all the details about upcoming evaluations, events, insurance, and anything I need to make our process run smoothly. … She knows that her job … is helping everyone she encounters and making a difference in their lives to become more independent in their daily activities and I see it brings her great joy.”

Dee Eubanks

Mobility consultant with Freedom Mobility Center

Advocacy in Action

Kendell has leveraged telehealth to break down barriers to care, ensuring clients in rural or underserved regions can still access high-quality OT services. She cofounded the nonprofit organization Mobility Matters Foundation (MMF), which aims to provide pro bono telehealth services to individuals in North Carolina who rely on Medicaid so that they continue to receive vital services. Through MMF, she has helped serve over 200 pro bono clients and raised more than $30,000 to support programming. She has played a pivotal role in expanding MMF through organizing community events such as Bike Day, an annual event she leads in partnership with assistive technology companies to provide adaptive bikes for children with disabilities. During the event, Kendell interacts directly with families, helping them to access necessary equipment and often writing Letters of Medical Necessity to support their needs.

Kendall’s impact extends beyond client care, as she inspires and leads through community service. She organized a fundraiser after Hurricane Helene in 2024, raising over $40,000 to support displaced families and recovery efforts in western North Carolina. She has also written more than 100 successful grants, helping families secure essential adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs and sensory tools that dramatically improve daily life. Her ability to blend OT skills with community outreach has made a tangible difference in the lives of individuals who may otherwise have been overlooked.

“Kendell is the OTA [who] was instrumental in my two-year battle with my insurance provider with getting me in a power wheelchair that would be more safe and reliable for the environment in Western North Carolina. … LimbTech and Kendell made it effortless for me and handled everything on their own and I cannot thank them enough for how professional and successful they were for me.”

Chad

LimbTech client

Mentorship and Education

Over the years, Kendell has mentored more than 200 OT and OTA students at LimbTech, supporting them throughout their fieldwork and doctoral capstone projects. She teaches students practical skills such as evaluation strategies, client advocacy, grant writing, and how to submit critical insurance documentation. Her mentorship goes beyond skill-building; she helps students prepare for the NBCOT national certification exam and shares insights from her own experiences. Students describe Kendell as patient, compassionate, and committed to creating “just right challenges” that foster growth.

Current and former students reflect on Kendell’s impact:

“[Kendell] patiently sat with me the entire day to debrief the seating evaluation for a group of brothers and let me problem-solve through the documentation process of writing Letters of Medical Necessity. This fostered a welcoming educational environment that allowed me to push myself outside of my comfort zone to learn and grow professionally in ways I thought were unimaginable in just 12 weeks.”

Emily C.

Level II fieldwork student

“Her constant support and encouragement, even years after my rotation at LimbTech, is one of the things that I admire most about her. I recognize how valuable Kendell was to my own professional and personal development.”

Dr. Suki Nelson, OTD, OTR/L, LSVT BIG

A Legacy of Impact

Kendell’s influence reaches clients, colleagues, students, and entire communities. Through her work as a clinical occupational therapy assistant, leader, executive, and cofounder, she remains passionate about advocating for and assisting clients with their accessibility, safety, and functional independence needs. She embodies what it means to lead with purpose: blending skill, compassion, and advocacy to create lasting change.

“LimbTech, MMF, our community, our patients, and the profession are incredibly lucky to have Kendell. Her selflessness, tireless work ethic, and unwavering commitment have been vital to our success.”

Dr. Amy Siegler, OTD, OTR/L

Award nominator & Owner/Operator of LimbTech

Individuals in the photos gave permission for their image to be published.