Inclusive Occupational Therapy Education: An international perspective

Abstract

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and McMaster University collaborated on a study to gain an understanding of the current profile of inclusive education that is in place presently in WFOT accredited occupational therapy (OT) educational programs. This study utilized survey methodology to gather data on admission to and learning in OT education programs for students with disabilities at the international level. The survey instrument used was a self-administered on-line questionnaire. The target sample was the total pool of 568 WFOT accredited post-secondary educational institutions that offer OT education programs at the pre-licensure level. The results indicate that physical, attitudinal and social issues were most frequently raised as barriers to inclusive education. However, occupational therapy programs have made considerable efforts to address issues of access and inclusion, including making changes to campus environments and developing student support services. The information from this study will contribute to the existing literature on inclusive education and will also serve to inform WFOT on the development of a position statement on inclusive OT education which is critical to promoting increased awareness and dialogue on issues of accessaffecting OT education and how the OT community can best work together to address them.