World Occupational Therapy Day 2011

This year for World Occupational Therapy day, the theme is ‘celebrating our global identity’ and lately I have been thinking a lot about the position of our identity as occupational therapists in the United Kingdom.

We are cosmic and distinctive, we are universal and unique and we should be saying this to more people, more often. If you open a paper or make a job search, how many posts do you see that entail all the skills of an Occupational Therapist but without the title?

So, what about marketing? What do people really know about occupational therapists and what we have to offer? If we are to make something more of ourselves and gain the kind of respect for our skills that you might get in other parts of the world we need to start making the news more often, and grabbing people’s attention outside of our own cohort.

I once heard someone say-

‘Those who haven’t experienced occupational therapy don’t have clue what it is, but those that have will be touched by it forever’

This is why we need to celebrate our global identity and get talking in any way we can to start creating more of a ‘buzz’ around our profession. There are thousands of people out there waiting for one of us to make their lives more fulfilled and purposeful. 

Ideas for creating a more prominent identity could be open days, with fun activities around your area of interest to endorse day centres, outpatient and inpatient services, private care and all aspects of your work; giving parent and student talks in schools to help educate people is another great opportunity.


You could write a blog, create a website, send a newsletter or e-letter to local charities and groups who you might want to work with at some point. Posters in GP surgeries and dentists, places of work where occupational performance can be addressed; the possibility for promotion is endless.

Blog Carnival for World Occupational Therapy Day 2011 (created by www.lindasdailylivingskills.com ) is a prime example to show a step taken to spread good word of Occupational Therapy across the world; it enables a network between professionals, promoting an international relationship.

If anything, I hope this post has got you thinking about what small step you could take to promote your identity as a (possibly student) Occupational Therapist and how this could impact on our global identity.

 Happy OT Day!