Barriers and Facilitators to African Americans Entering the Field of Occupational Therapy: A Phenomenological Study

Purpose: While the United States population is becoming increasingly diverse, the profession of occupational therapy remains predominantly White. This study aimed to better understand barriers and facilitators to African Americans enrolling in OT school from their perspective. Participants: A snowball sample of 10 African American participants completed interviews to identify barriers and facilitators to entering the occupational therapy profession. Methods: A phenomenological approach consisting of open-ended interviews where participants revealed their opinions, experiences, and insights into barriers and facilitators to African Americans entering occupational therapy was used. Using grounded theory to guide thematic coding, several themes were identified, and a diversity-based model was developed to promote increased diversity of students entering the occupational therapy profession. Results: Common themes emerged that exposure to occupational therapy and exposure to African American occupational therapists was pivotal in deciding to enroll in OT school. Conclusions: Occupational therapy as a profession needs to increase diversity among its practitioners. One way this may be achieved is by increasing the enrollment of diverse students. Findings suggest that African American occupational therapists believe that early exposure to occupational therapy and exposure to diverse occupational therapists is important to African American students enrolling in occupational therapy programs.