"The Bigger Picture": Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Perspectives on Disability Studies.

Abstract

This qualitative study explored occupational therapy practitioners' perspectives about integrating principles from the field of disability studies (DS) into clinical education and practice. After a conference presentation about DS, three simultaneous focus groups were conducted with 27 occupational therapy practitioners. A constant comparative, grounded-theory approach was used to identify themes across groups. Identified themes included convergences and divergences between the profession of occupational therapy and the field of disability studies, influence of perspectives of disability on service delivery, clinician navigation of systemic barriers, and incorporation of DS-aligned intervention strategies into practice. Despite points of alignment, occupational therapy has not fully addressed DS critiques. Practitioners recognized professional, systemic, and societal barriers and the need for more educational experiences, resources, and professional reflexivity and dialogue to inform the integration of DS concepts into practice.