Occupational Therapy — The Opportunity to Develop: An Exploration of Occupational Therapy as it Emerges in the Ugandan Context

This paper was given as a keynote address to the 11th International Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 17–22 April 1994, London; it was illustrated with slides. Through discussion of personal experiences of practising occupational therapy in a variety of situations in Uganda, the author stresses the importance of allowing the profession to develop naturally from within its cultural context and concludes with some observations about the nature of occupational therapy as it emerges in Uganda.

The purposes of this paper are to outline the development of occupational therapy as a rehabilitation profession within the context of the total rehabilitation of a nation; to explore the concept of occupational therapy as it emerges in the unique culture and environment of Uganda; and to identify aspects of occupational therapy in Uganda that can enhance the understanding and practice of occupational therapy worldwide.