I’ve noticed that my blog post about occupational therapy models and frameworks remains one of the most visited on my site, drawing steady attention each week. This sparked an idea I’m keen to try. I’ve been wondering whether we can use popular culture to make occupational therapy theory more accessible and relevant to a wider audience. I’m not certain how it will land, but I’m starting with one of the most widely applied models in our profession: the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). My first case study is Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters (ITV, 2025) a programme that might at first glance appear to be another celebrity reality series, but in fact offers a rich exploration of occupation, adaptation, identity, and participation.
What do we mean by occupation?
In occupational therapy, the word occupation does not just mean a job or paid employment. It refers to the everyday activities that people need, want, or are expected to do in order to live a meaningful life. These can range from the basics of self-care, such as getting dressed and preparing food, to productive roles like work, volunteering, and education, as well as leisure and social participation.
Occupations are central to identity, health, and wellbeing, because they give people purpose, structure, and connection to others. When illness, disability, or social barriers make it difficult to participate in valued occupations, occupational therapists work alongside individuals and communities to remove obstacles and enable engagement.
The Modle of Human Occupation
The Model of Human Occupation, developed by Gary Kielhofner, offers a structured way to understand how individuals engage in meaningful activity. It brings together four interrelated aspects: volition, which encompasses motivation and the values that shape what matters to someone; habituation, referring to roles and routines that organise everyday life; performance capacity, meaning the abilities physical and mental a person draws on; and environment, which includes the social, cultural, physical and economic conditions influencing what people can do (Kielhofner, 2008; Taylor, 2020). MOHO encourages us to look beyond diagnosis, focusing instead on the dynamic interaction between person and context.
The programme itself follows several celebrities travelling to the Bahamas to explore shark conservation and confront personal fears. It would be easy to dismiss it as light entertainment, but I would urge a closer look. Beneath the surface is a thoughtful exploration of identity, connection, and human experience. In particular, the inclusion of Ade Adepitan brings a compelling lens to occupational engagement through the experience of disability, while Sir Lenny Henry’s presence adds depth through his reflections on heritage, belonging, and culture. The conversations and shared moments between these two men lift the programme into something much more meaningful than its premise might suggest.
Volition: Motivation, Values, and Interests
Volition in MOHO refers to the internal processes that drive participation our sense of ability, the values we hold, and what sparks our interest (Taylor, 2020). Ade Adepitan’s engagement in the programme was rooted in far more than a willingness to try something new. He shared openly about his fear of water and its layered meaning, both personal and cultural. Yet he chose to take part because of his deep belief in inclusion, representation, and the importance of challenging perceptions.
His conversations with Lenny Henry revealed shared reflections on identity, migration, and the significance of water in African and Caribbean histories. The sea became more than a setting it was a place of memory, disconnection, and reconnection. Through this lens, volition becomes visible not only in the motivation to take part but in the meaning-making that unfolded across their journey.
Habituation: Roles and Routines
MOHO reminds us that occupational roles are continually shaped by context (Kielhofner, 2008). Ade’s established roles as athlete, presenter, and advocate framed how he approached the experience. Within the series, however, he also stepped into new roles explorer, environmental communicator, cultural narrator. These additions expanded, rather than replaced, his identity.
Lenny Henry’s presence offered a parallel shift. Known primarily for his work in comedy, drama, and activism, here we see him listen, reflect, and connect in a way that reveals new occupational roles mentor, peer, and fellow participant. These evolving identities reinforce how roles are lived and redefined through occupation.
Performance Capacity: Abilities in Context
MOHO views performance capacity not in isolation but in context. Ade’s disability was presented honestly, without sensationalism or reduction. We saw the emotional and practical preparation required, the adjustments made, and the embodied knowledge that guided him.
Rather than framing his participation as overcoming adversity, the programme highlighted his strengths in problem-solving, emotional regulation, and body awareness. His experience of being in the water demonstrated how capacity is shaped by interaction with environment, support, and purpose.
Environment: Physical, Social, and Cultural
Environmental context is central to MOHO. The sea, often viewed as inaccessible to disabled people, was here presented as a space made inclusive through design and intent. Accessible equipment, attentive facilitators, and flexible approaches made the experience not just possible but equitable.
The social environment particularly the peer support among participants was key to emotional safety. Culturally, the shared discussions between Ade and Lenny opened up space to explore the history and symbolism of water as something both painful and empowering. This created an environment in which identity could be explored, redefined, and expressed.
Occupational Justice: Who Gets to Participate?
Although not a formal component of MOHO, the concept of occupational justice aligns closely with its ethos. The programme invites us to consider whose stories are usually told, and whose experiences are left out of narratives about nature, exploration, and conservation.
Ade’s involvement was not tokenistic. It demonstrated that disabled people can and should take part in all areas of life, including those often deemed off-limits. Lenny Henry’s thoughtful and empathetic engagement served to amplify these moments rather than overshadow them. Together, they modelled what inclusive participation can look like in practice, not just theory.
I’d love to hear your ideas for future posts exploring culture through occupational therapy models whether it’s analysing Taskmaster with the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability, or something equally unexpected. Suggestions welcome
References
Kielhofner, G. (2008). Model of Human Occupation: Theory and Application (4th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Taylor, R. R. (2020). Kielhofner’s Model of Human Occupation: Theory and Application (6th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Wilcock, A. A., & Hocking, C. (2015). An Occupational Perspective of Health (3rd ed.). SLACK Incorporated.
ITV (2025). Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters.
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