A case study of a national association's actions to advance the integration of occupational justice and human rights in occupational therapy

Abstract

Objective: To consider a professional association's actions in supporting an occupational therapy community's awareness and learning about occupational justice and human rightsinformed practice. Presentation: The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is a national professional association that promotes excellence in occupational therapy through advocacy, professional development opportunities, and resource and product development. For its 2015 Conference, CAOT focussed on the intersection between justice, human rights and occupational therapy. Technique: Conferences are intense knowledge mobilisation platforms and are an opportunity for professional associations to demonstrate leadership in advancing and promoting the occupational therapy profession. Conclusion: Occupational therapy associations are encouraged to use their resources and voice to unite occupational therapists within their region in pursuit of the goal to make our communities more just and inclusive for all.

Occupational therapy on the margins

“…For example, occupational justice is a key term in professional discourses around marginalisation and social participation. As commentators within the profession and occupational science have found, powerful and reductive positivist constructs around practice can obscure the need for social transformation (Farias, Rudman, & Magalhães, 2016;Gordon, Lapointe, MacLachlan, & Craik, 2016;Kinsella & Durocher, 2016;Mirza, Magasi, & Hammel, 2016).…”