Building inclusive community: a challenge for occupational therapy. 1994 Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture

Occupational therapy was founded on values of choice, relevance, and active participation in meaningful occupations. To assure choice in daily living, learning, work, and play for persons with disabilities or significant health issues, occupational therapy practitioners are challenged to gain increased understanding of the unique culture and community of each person and family with whom they work; create opportunities for these persons to develop their capabilities in community settings of their choice; promote more interactive models of practice in which the practitioner affects the arrangements between the person and society; work with communities to welcome the gifts of diversity; and develop skill in analyzing environments and facilitating environmental interaction. The environment category of the spatiotemporal adaptation theory is expanded and a communication model for collaboration in building individual community is proposed as means for addressing the challenges.