ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) Standards have evolved over time, with the 2023 updates reflecting a continuation of a broader ideological trend in the profession. Specifically, these updates prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ways that raise fundamental questions about the balance between professional accreditation requirements and academic freedom.  The 2018 Standards recognized diversity as an important foundation for occupational therapy education. While encouraging awareness of diversity issues, these standards avoided prescribing specific ideological frameworks. This approach respected the autonomy of educational institutions, allowing them to incorporate diversity as they deemed appropriate while maintaining space for academic freedom and intellectual diversity. In contrast, the 2023 Standards explicitly embed DEI principles, including equity and justice, as requirements for occupational therapy programs. Faculty are now...

I read the ACOTE Director's Update - January 2025 with interest as it reported new Vision, Mission, and Values statements for ACOTE as follows: VISION : Lead, innovate, and advance occupational therapy education in a global environment. MISSION : Support quality, inclusion, and innovation to advance entry-level occupational therapy education. VALUES : Quality; Innovation; Collaboration; Inclusion; Integrity. For reference, the previous ACOTE statements were: VISION : Committed to the establishment, promotion, and evaluation of standards of quality in occupational therapy education. To this end, ACOTE will lead in the development of effective collaborative partnerships with the communities of interest, both internal and external to the profession of occupational therapy, which are affected by its activities. MISSION : Ensures quality occupational therapy education by developing accreditation standards and verifying implementation to support the preparation of competent occupational...