Celebrating World Occupational Therapy Day 2025: Rebecca’s Story

World Occupational Therapy Day celebrates the role of Occupational Therapists (OTs) in promoting health and wellbeing. This year’s theme, Occupational Therapy in Action, highlights the active contributions of OTs like Rebecca, a recent graduate.

She discusses how she’s put her training in action, collaborating with engineers as a REMAP volunteer.

As an OT, one of our core pillars of practice is to be advocates for our patients, and we talk a lot about occupational justice and making sure that we are trying to get an equity of entry to act like meaningful occupations for our patients. I think within the context of services available in the NHS right now, something like REMAP feels very aligned to our profession. 

It really brings out the creativity of our practice as OTs being able to collaborate with engineers. As a new OT, I know it’s brought me so much hope and joy to know that, even if you hit that dead end, there is still an option.

REMAP’s monthly branch meetings are a really nice place to apply your OT skills in a different area. I get to hear about all the work that the engineers are doing and then, if there are any OT-related questions about condition or function or something, that’s where I can contribute. 

It baffles me a little bit that OTs and engineers don’t work together more because it works so well and it’s a really enjoyable process. Just to hear about what solutions engineers are coming up with keeps creativity in your ideas alive. It feels really unique and special to have that. I feel grateful for my involvement.

I see it’s very similar to working with an engineer to working with a psychologist or a consultant or a physio – it’s gaining someone else’s expertise and their perspective on a case. 

REMAP really enables expansive and creative practice to continue where solutions are not available commercially. The collaboration between service users, engineers and OTs truly aligns with OT principles, practice and enables participation in meaningful activity for everyone involved. 

It’s really heartening to be involved in. 

Inspired by Rebecca’s story? Find out how you can volunteer with REMAP and make a difference too.