Beyond Superpowers: Naming and Dismantling Ableism in Occupational Therapy Through the Lens of Lived Experience

Abstract

This personal narrative explores the presence of ableism within occupational therapy through the lens of lived experience. It draws upon the reflections of a disabled and neurodivergent occupational therapist to highlight the ongoing challenges faced by those with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or neurodivergence in both accessing and delivering occupational therapy. From childhood interventions rooted in normative milestones to discriminatory assumptions during professional training, the piece illustrates how ableist practices remain embedded in the profession.

The author recounts a year-long hospital stay following COVID-19 complications, where occupational therapy was fragmented, checklist-driven, and shaped more by service structures than by individual need. Upon discharge, statutory care reduced needs to minimal tasks, with little attention paid to autonomy, participation, or future planning. Returning to work involved navigating inaccessible systems, delayed adjustments, and being labelled “inspirational” merely for persisting. These experiences reveal how unconscious bias and structural barriers impact not only service users but also professionals with lived experience.

The piece challenges occupational therapy to move beyond symbolic inclusion and towards meaningful anti-ableist practice. It calls for occupational therapists to confront internalised biases and outdated service models and to centre universal design, co-production, and needs-led assessments. It argues that the profession must shift from celebrating resilience in the face of exclusion to creating systems that genuinely support participation and belonging for all. Occupational therapy cannot promote occupational justice unless it first addresses the injustices within its own culture and practice.