Intersectionality and occupational therapy practice: Multiple worlds intersecting with working with clients and families

Introduction: Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of a person’s social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Given the interconnected nature of social categorisations (such as race, religious beliefs, class, age and gender) in society as they apply to a given individual or group, they can be regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage, and as such, it has much salience for occupational therapy practice.
Learning objectives are as follows:
1. to increase the awareness and knowledge of intersectionality as a framework for occupational therapists to apply in their day-to-day professional practice
2. to provide examples of how clients’ and their family’s experiences of discrimination or disadvantage can impact how they experience the provision of occupational therapy services
Educational methods are as follows:
• brief presentation of key points by facilitator
• small group discussion with feedback to the larger group
• use of case study to illustrate key points and concepts
Relevance to occupational therapy knowledge and practice: A number of marginalised groups exist in Australia due to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, language and immigration status. There is also the marked impact of colonisation on Indigenous Australians. All of these factors contribute to Australians’ experience of occupational injustice discrimination and disadvantage. Intersectionality as a framework is therefore an essential point of reference for occupational therapists to be conversant with.