Ethics Deserve Deliberation: A Petition for Transparent Governance in Occupational Therapy
In April 2025, the American Occupational Therapy Association Representative Assembly approved substantial revisions to the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics as part of a bundled consent agenda — without open deliberation. Ethics are not routine administrative matters. They define the values, boundaries, and identity of a profession. This petition was submitted to respectfully challenge the process by which the new Code of Ethics was adopted, to call for greater transparency, and to reinforce the importance of meaningful member participation in shaping the standards that govern our work. Members deserve transparency, deliberation, and stewardship. I encourage all colleagues to remain engaged in the governance of our profession. Note: For purposes of this public posting, I have redacted personal information such as my address and AOTA member number, as well as removed the names of individual forum contributors cited in the original petition. These edits do not alter the substance of th...