Opportunities for well-being: The right to occupational engagement

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists' 2017 conference theme prompted thoughts about shaping our profession's future.

This Muriel Driver Memorial Lecture explores how occupational therapy's future might be shaped to become more important, relevant, and valuable to society.

Because occupational engagement is integral to human well-being and because well-being is integral to human rights, occupational therapy could usefully advance the right of all people to engage in occupations that contribute positively to their own well-being and the well-being of their communities.

Occupational therapy's importance to society will be manifested when we focus unambiguously on well-being; extend our efforts beyond enhancing the abilities of individuals whose lives are already impacted by illness, injury, or impairment; and address the opportunities for achieving well-being through occupational engagement of all those whose capabilities-their opportunities to do what they have the abilities to do-are inequitably constrained.