Occupational therapy in disaster response

Abstract

As occupational therapists, our goal is to enable people to participate successfully in the activities of everyday life that have meaning and purpose for them within their cultural context. In disaster situations, we aim to achieve this from the outset, through the emergency response stage and into longer term recovery and resilience building. In enabling people to do things that will enhance their ability to live meaningful lives, or by modifying the environment to better support participation, we are guided by and work with survivors themselves. This dialogue is adapted from a live podcast prepared for AOTA’s ‘living life to its fullest’ series.