OT in Universal Design and Consultation

Prior to getting admitted into OT school, I thought that interior design and decorating was going to be something that I was going to pursue, but life took me down a different route that I was more than happy to follow. Throughout my time in school I've learned that occupational therapy can find its way into any setting and with any population. This intrigued me into wondering how I can combine two things I have deep interest in - design and occupational therapy.

So what exactly is universal design and consultation?

Universal design is designing an environment in a way that can be accessed, understood, and used by anyone and everyone, regardless of age and ability. The idea behind universal design is that it should be usable without making adaptations or specialization of a design. Although when OTs work in the home setting, they are able to make modifications depending on what would be best for the client. When diving deeper into universal design, the goal is to create an environment without having to add modifications - it's a one size fits all type of thing. OTs can bring a unique perspective in universal design when collaborating with other design and building professionals because we are able to dive deeper into the whole person through consideration of their needs and abilities. This will help us to design the environment in a way that would best support them.

"Universal design must enable people to be independent in daily task when human impairments are present."

When it comes to consultation, occupational therapist can be consultants on a wide range of topics which may range from wheelchair accessibility to home modifications. Home modifications in the field of occupational therapy allow the adaptation of one's environment in order to prevent injury and increase safety and independence. OTs are able to specialize in home modifications and can assist in the home renovation process. The OT can evaluate a client and how they perform their occupations in their home. From there they can collaborate with other professions such as a builder and make appropriate recommendations for how to help enhance the client's space.

In both consulting and universal design, the role of OT is involved from start to finish. This ensures that the client will be be able to engage in their desired occupations as a result from the OT modifications and recommendations. By being able to be involved in universal design and home design consulting, we are able to help individuals move around their environment with confidence, thus enhancing their performance in every living and their overall quality of life.

To conclude, we've learned that occupational therapy is broad in terms of settings we can work in and people we can work with. The overarching goal of being an occupational therapist is to help an individual engage in the occupations that are meaningful to them. As the profession of occupational therapy is growing, it is important to make way for ourselves in every type of setting that isn't the traditional setting. As OTs we have the ability to understand the person, occupation, and environment and see how all of those three factors contribute to ones occupational performance. OTs matter and play an integral role in helping to make our communities a safer place.