Occupational therapy has always been, at its core, a justice profession. We believe that every person deserves the right to engage meaningfully in the occupations that give their life purpose — and we know that systemic barriers make that impossible for far too many people.

OTAO created this award because we want to name and celebrate the members who are already doing this work. Not as an add-on to their practice. Not as a committee they joined to check a box. But as practitioners who have genuinely woven equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging into the fabric of how they show up — in their clinics, their classrooms, their communities, and their advocacy. One OTAO member will be recognized each year with a $1,000 award — disbursed directly to you — to invest in whatever moves your work forward. That might mean professional development, continuing education, or directly fueling a DEI-JAB initiative you’re already building. You know your work best. Use it accordingly.