L’urbanisme, un nouveau champ d’action de l’ergothérapeute ?

Summary :

Environment is a core concept in Occupational Therapy because it is one of the main pillars for occupations. Therefore, occupational therapists’ role in adapting public spaces tends to develop and be more recognised. Occupational therapists and urban planners have one common goal linking their professions: the will to promote human occupations. This leads to social participation, which refers to the possibility for people to get involved in activities including social interactions. The aim of this study is first to determine how occupational therapists can get involved in urban projects and second, to investigate whether the adaptation of leisure public spaces can enhance social participation. In this regard, 12 interviews have been conducted: 5 with occupational therapists working in urban planning, 2 interviews with urban planners and 5 interviews with disabled users of leisure public spaces. It appears that occupational therapists have a totally different approach to the environment compared to urban planners who, from their occupational therapist’s point of view, do not seem to perceive the real purpose of accessible standards. Occupational therapists tend to override these standards to bring disabled users a more comfortable experience of leisure public spaces. Furthermore, it appears that accessibility improves social participation, but mainly enhance capabilities and enables users to improve their abilities by choosing freely the leisure spaces they want to perform their activities in.

Article rédigé par :

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  Lucie Ménard

  Ergothérapeute DE
  lucie_menard@sfr.fr

  Parcours
  IFE de Rouen
  Obtention du diplôme en juin 2019
  Ergothérapeute employée par la Direction de la Recherche Clinique et de l’Innovation du CHU de Rouen
  Directeur de mémoire : Claudie Motsch