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 rights-informed 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.

KEYWORDS:

• Conference
• human rights
• occupational justice
• occupational therapy
• professional association

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the many staff, volunteers, presenters, delegates and vendors that made the 2015 CAOT Conference possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Julie Lapointe http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5349-9982

Notes

1 Treaty 1 was the first post-confederation treaty between Indigenous peoples and the Government of Canada. It applies to the territory that was enclosed by the Manitoba provincial boundaries as they existed in 1871 (Government of Canada, 2010). By acknowledging the land on which the CAOT Conference took place, the authors recognize the historic relationship embodied in the treaty between Indigenous people and Canada.