Exploring the Art of Occupation

As part of my series exploring occupational therapy through popular culture, I was inspired after watching Channel 4 News and a story about the Turner Prize. What struck me was the feature on one of this year’s nominees, the first ever person with a learning disability to be shortlisted. I…

A national phenomenon with mixed feelings I am not what you would call a Strictly superfan. I might watch occasionally, but I do struggle with many elements of the show. I often choose to catch up afterwards and usually focus just on the dancing, missing out the competition or the…

As occupational therapists, we often pride ourselves on supporting people to live the lives they want to lead. But there is one word that has crept into our everyday language and professional documents that I believe we need to pause and challenge: independent. At first glance, “independence” seems like a positive…

If you have been reading my blog since the early days back in 2013 you will know I have always had a bit of a love for definitions. I often begin with one because definitions give me something solid to hold on to. They frame my thinking, they help me…

Occupational therapists talk a lot about occupation, but what we mean is not simply a job or employment. Occupation refers to the everyday activities that people need, want, or are expected to do. These are the meaningful things that fill our time and shape who we are, from self-care and…

Tonight, 2nd September, The Great British Bake Off kicks off a brand new series. Like millions across the UK, I will be tuning in to see the first batch of nervous contestants step into the tent. Bake Off is more than just a television show. Over the years it has become a…

My Development and Why I Write My awareness that news is never simply neutral goes back to school. In English during the 1990s, we were asked to analyse how the same subject was presented across different newspapers. At first, I assumed that the news was just fact, but I soon…

I’ll start by admitting that my music taste is probably still stuck somewhere in the indie and alternative rock of the ’90s and early 2000s, but even I can see that Taylor Swift is more than a pop star. Whether or not you enjoy her music, you’ll likely have some awareness of…

Regular readers will know I like to start my blogs with some definitions. Today’s post is about an experience I had meeting new people who share my lived experience of disability, and how technology can play a role in supporting us to take part in everyday life. Occupations, in the…