Piloting an Occupational Therapist-Led Disability-Inclusion Program for Business Professionals and Leaders.

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Disability studies
• Workplace inclusion

Background:

• Adults with disabilities face significant underrepresentation in employment, leading to disparities.
• Innovative, disability justice-informed solutions are crucial to improve employment participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of an occupational therapist-led workshop on improving knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards disability-inclusive workplace practices.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods, pre-post quality improvement project involving a 60-minute virtual workshop.
• Participants (n=97) from a global corporation were recruited via convenience sampling.
• Surveys assessed understanding of disability, performance analysis skills, and post-session feedback.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in self-reported knowledge, skills, positive emotions, and perceptions of implementing inclusive strategies.
• Key themes included increased empathy, enhanced knowledge and skills, engaging content, and the formation of a supportive community.

Conclusions:

• Disability justice and occupational therapy-informed programs can enhance professionals' capacity for disability inclusion.
• Occupational therapy practitioners can play vital roles in corporate settings, promoting equitable employment opportunities.