Why an Occupational Therapist Makes the Ideal Accessibility Consultant
Alright, let me get this out of the way right up front: I’m biased. Of course I’m biased. I’m an occupational therapist. I’ve been one since 2020, and honestly, I’ve known I wanted to be one since 2013. So yes — I’m absolutely, unapologetically biased… but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
Before I explain why an OT is such a good fit for accessibility consulting, we need to talk about what an OT actually is. And to do that, we have to talk about the word occupation.
Most people hear “occupation” and think “job.” But in the OT world, occupation simply means what you do. Everything you do throughout the day. The things you need to do, the things you want to do, and even the things you do without thinking.
Brushing your teeth? Occupation.
Feeding the dog? Occupation.
Scrolling on your phone even though you swore you’d go to bed an hour ago? Yep… occupation.
Reaching for the remote, making coffee, getting dressed, gardening, cooking, showering, reading, playing games, yelling at the TV during football season — all occupations.
And the primary role of an occupational therapist is to help people participate in their valued occupations as fully and safely as possible.
Some OTs do this by helping people restore function after an injury or illness.
Some help people maintain skills they already have.
And some help people adapt to a new reality — whether that’s a new disability, a progressive condition, or a lifelong challenge that’s finally catching up with them in their environment.
In the world of accessibility and home modifications, we’re usually working with folks who are adapting to some kind of disability or functional change. That’s where the OT lens becomes incredibly important.
So… what exactly is an accessibility consultant?
Generally speaking, it’s someone who helps you access a space and overcome a barrier that’s keeping you out of that space. Straightforward enough, right?
But here’s the thing: that’s usually where most accessibility consultants stop.
They look at the barrier.
They help you get past the barrier.
And that’s it.
But remember those occupations we talked about? The things that make your life meaningful? The things that make you you?
Just because you can get into the space where your occupation happens doesn’t mean you can actually participate in it.
Let me give you an example.
Let’s say you want to watch TV, but your wheelchair is too wide to get into the living room. A typical consultant might say, “Ah yes — let’s widen the entryway so you can access the room.” Great. Problem solved… right?
Except now you’re in the living room, and the remote is on the coffee table.
Or maybe you can’t grip the remote.
Or maybe you can’t reach it.
Or maybe the TV menu is impossible to navigate.
So you’re sitting there, staring at a blank screen, technically “in the room,” but not actually doing the thing you wanted to do.
Is that really success?
Now imagine someone who doesn’t just get you into the living room, but also breaks down the task of watching TV based on your abilities. Someone who looks at the space, the routine, the tools, the sequence, the environment — and helps you modify whatever needs modifying so you can actually do the thing you set out to do.
That’s what occupational therapists do.
We’re trained to assess the person, understand what makes them tick, identify their valued occupations, and then do whatever we can to help them participate in those occupations safely, independently, and joyfully.
And here’s the secret:
Where do most of your valued occupations take place?
In your home.
Your home is where you spend the most time.
It’s where you do the most things.
It’s where your routines live.
It’s where your identity shows up in a thousand tiny ways.
A home that doesn’t support your needs makes it difficult, dangerous, or sometimes downright impossible to participate in the occupations that matter to you. And when you can’t do what you want or need to do, it creates a cascading negative effect — physically, emotionally, socially, everything.
But the opposite is also true.
When your home supports your needs, when it’s set up to help you do the things that make your life meaningful, the positive effects ripple outward. Confidence grows. Independence grows. Safety improves. Stress decreases. Caregiver burden decreases. Life gets better.
And occupational therapists understand this better than anyone on the planet (in my humble, very biased opinion).
Now, of course, OTs come in all shapes, sizes, personalities, and specialties. We’re not all the same. But I do believe we share a foundational belief:
Everyone deserves to do the things they want and need to do — and sometimes people just need a helping hand to get there.
That’s why I believe OTs make ideal accessibility consultants.
Not because we’re the only ones who can do the job, but because we’re the ones who see the whole picture — the person, the environment, and the occupation — and we know how to bring all three into harmony.
And honestly? That’s where the magic happens.
