In the UK, acknowledgment of and visible commitment to understanding the LGBTQIA+ community in occupational therapy has been historically poor. This is intertwined with long-standing challenges perpetuated by a cisgender/heteronormative society, and the many barriers to occupation that LGBTQIA+ folks experience in terms of being or, sadly and all too commonly, hiding who we are. It's natural to think of this with reference to those we work with, but it's important and powerful to recognise the impact of this on our workforce and future workforce. Representation matters.

This session will synthesise interdisciplinary research evidence, insights from LGBTQIA+ occupational therapists and speakers’ own experiences and reiterate multi-faceted relevance and necessity to safe and effective practice across our diverse professional contexts, consistent with our underpinning values.