The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) fully supports the statement from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) on standing in solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter movement and condemning systemic racism.
The statement issued on 19 June 2020 outlines that systemic racism is an abuse of human rights and addressing it needs to be a global priority. WFOT highlights that it is imperative that occupational therapists address the systemic discrimination, oppression and injustices that are pervasive in health and social services around the world.
Commenting on the statement, Julia Scott, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, says:
“We fully welcome and support this statement. COVID-19 has further exposed the inequalities that BAME staff in the health and care system face. Many occupational therapists across the globe, not just in the UK, want to support their BAME colleagues and, as stated by the WFOT, occupational therapists must play their part in helping to tackle injustices across health and social services. We need to act now as a professional community to address these inequalities.
“We want to see further efforts to tackle racism and discrimination and as a professional body we know we need a workforce that reflects the population we serve. As a first step we are holding a BAME Big Conversation which will help highlight the challenges our members face and the part RCOT can play in tackling them. There is a lot of work to be done to eradicate inequalities, and we are committed to playing our part.”
The full statement from WFOT can be found here.