How Much is Universal Accessibility Actually Taught in Canadian Occupational Therapy Programs?

Background. The environment is essential to occupational participation. However, the involvement and training of occupational therapists in universal accessibility (UA) seems limited. Purpose. To explore the content on UA taught in university occupational therapy programs in Canada. Method. This study adopts a mixed methodology. A survey, including mostly quantitative data, was distributed to occupational therapy programs across Canada, and course syllabi related to UA, providing qualitative data, were requested. Analysis included descriptive statistics and content descriptive analysis. Findings. Thirteen out of 14 programs responded to the survey and five provided course syllabi. While all programs cover UA content, only seven offer specific courses on accessibility. Internships related to UA are offered by seven programs. Some gaps identified include limited knowledge, lack of in-depth content, and limited interprofessional collaboration. There are variations in emphasis on UA and teaching approaches. Boundaries between universal approaches and knowledge of specific disability groups are poorly delineated. UA is unanimously considered essential in the training of occupational therapists. Conclusion. The content in UA is heterogeneous across programs. Consensual definitions of accessibility concepts related to occupational therapy are needed to better define the role of the occupational therapist in this area.