Jeanette's Occupational Justice Conversations

This is the story of Jeanette, an occupational therapist passionate about raising awareness and shedding light on the occupational injustices experienced by many individuals and communities...

As an OT I have always been involved in advocating for those less able to do so for themselves.  This is part of what I believe OT is about: to help give voice to the ‘voiceless’, and access to those denied access.

My work has often required me to support or to collaborate with clients seeking to have their position and needs understood.

As a member of the Victorian OT state executive in the seventies, I participated in the notorious action of annexing from the Federal OT Association over the proposed WFOT congress in South Africa - at the time of anti apartheid action.

We also successfully lobbied with disability groups for the universal design and access principles for public buildings which are now Australian standards.

As an OT I have not ‘worked’ directly with refugees, although I have with my family been involved in a number of cultural and leisure/recreational initiatives with some Brisbane based refugees, and in lobbying projects for those in detention. It is a privilege to now count some of these people as our personal friends. It has also been entertaining to see some people meet and befriend these people without any idea of their origins, and then to speculate about their prejudices being dissolved off the map of their minds when they realise with whom they have been conversing.

As a community member, I have had conversations with as many people as I can about the injustice of occupational deprivation in different situations - whether in institutions for public ‘service’ or places of incarceration. Where people who are in grief, trauma and anguish are then treated with less dignity than we offer convicted criminals, my passions become aroused.

As an OT I have for decades called for our profession to include the art and the science of OT in our approach to our clients: On issues around refugees I have been curious to talk with people about the heart and soul of wellness, and of meaningful activity, and the idea of maintaining and regaining dignity, purpose and self respect through the capacity and possibility of performing daily living skills, and entering a community.

I believe that our conversations have power, and that we can as individuals have an impact on social, cultural and political changes. How much more we achieve when we act as a group and at least know we are not alone in our thoughts and actions.

Jeanette Isaacs-Young
Principal
Lifestream Associates