Occupational Therapy in the Cultural Arts

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience negative impacts to their well-being and quality of life (QOL) due to their lack of community engagement (Silverman and Tyszka, 2017). Occupational therapy (OT) consultation within the cultural arts is a growing sector of the field, as organizations realize the necessity of forming programs and spaces that are inclusive and accessible to various populations. Occupational therapists (OTs) possess the skills to facilitate environmental adaptations and consult with organizations to improve aspects of their establishment to promote inclusivity. OTs help implement a myriad of sensory and environmental adaptations to support social participation within a safe and supportive context, and development of a sense of belonging and connection (Bodison & Parham, 2017; Silverman & Tyszka, 2017; Umeda, 2017). Research documents the benefits of access programs designed with OT involvement for those with IDD, their families, and cultural arts organizations. However, the perspectives of OTs who engage in organization-level cultural arts consultation have not been systematically explored. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to investigate the lived experiences of OT consultants who collaborate with cultural arts organizations. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study that investigated the experiences of six registered and licensed OTs across the U.S. working in organizational level cultural arts consultation. Data were collected via 60-90 minute semi-structured interviews. The participants were recruited through our advisor’s professional network and through snowball sampling. We are in the process of collecting data. Following data collection, we will organize our findings into themes describing OTs’ skills, education, collaboration, and advocacy related to their work within cultural arts. Understanding the perspectives of the OTs will help to provide a stronger foundation upon which to base collaborative OT work in the cultural arts to enrich QOL and inclusion for those with IDD