York St John University professor joins international panel for World Occupational Therapy Day

Wednesday 27 October marks World Occupational Therapy Day, an international celebration of the occupational therapy profession.  

An active occupational therapy community at York St John University means staff and students engage in a wide range of community and academic activities.  

The occupational therapy programme at York St John has long-term links with Bangladesh through an association with the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP). The co-founder of CRP Valerie Taylor is a York St John Honorary graduate, and occupational therapy and physiotherapy students from the university have had clinical placements at CRP alongside health staff visits. 

This World Occupational Therapy Day, where the theme is ‘Belong. Be you’, Professor Alison Laver-Fawcett at York St John University was invited by the Bangladesh Occupational Therapy Association (BOTA) to join a global panel discussion. 

She joined MPs, including the Bangladesh State Minister for Social Welfare, occupational therapy specialists and academics for the round table. The focus of the discussion was on the need for more occupational therapy programmes in Bangladesh Universities and the employment of occupational therapists in more public services. 

Dr Alison Laver-Fawcett said: “As an academic visitor to CRP and a visiting-lecturer on the Masters programme at the Bangladesh Health Professions Institute, I was delighted to join BOTA colleagues to raise awareness of how occupational therapy benefits a wide range of people, and to keep building on this international connection with colleagues in Bangladesh.  

“It was an honour to take part in conversations that seek to raise awareness of how occupational therapy can improve people’s health and wellbeing in Bangladesh. Occupational therapy constantly adapts to people's needs, and this is particularly true in light of the Covid-19 pandemic where occupational therapists are playing an important role in helping people to recover from Long-Covid.” 

Occupational therapy aims to help people engage in their everyday occupations, supporting them to lead a fulfilling and healthy life.  

Staff and students from the University's occupational therapy programme were shortlisted at the York Community Pride Awards 2021 for their work with refugee families at local allotments.