OT Conversations that Matter: The Podcast / Conversations qui comptent en ergo : Le balado

Women’s health-focused occupational therapists Amanda Hall and Katherine Lemay join host Justine Jecker for a conversation that shines light on the roles, realities, and health experiences of women, both as clients and as the majority of OTs and OTAs.

Despite over a century of women-led practice, dedicated spaces to explore women’s health remain limited. This episode considers women’s occupations, persistent global inequities, and the implications of male-centered research.

Delve into this important and historically underrepresented topic to understand how women’s health is understood and addressed, and how occupational therapy can better support women’s wellbeing.

CAOT / ACE

Explore how occupational therapy can play an important role in supporting individuals experiencing pelvic pain, incontinence, trauma, and perinatal challenges with occupational therapists, educators, and leaders Lara Desrosiers and Karina Jackson.

Pelvic health is a deeply personal and often overlooked aspect of daily life that influences emotional, physical, and mental well-being—one that occupational therapists are well positioned to address.  Lara and Karina join host Justine Jecker to share their clinical experience and advocacy journey and shed light on the growing recognition of pelvic health within the profession. They emphasize the importance of collaboration, accessibility, and the integration of mind-body approaches across diverse practice settings in Canada.CAOT/ACE

Découvrez le programme Auto-ajuste, une initiative conjointe de l’Association canadienne des ergothérapeutes et de la CAA qui vise à aider les conductrices et conducteurs à adapter leur véhicule à leurs besoins afin d'assurer une conduite plus sécuritaire et confortable. 

L'animatrice Soëla Bandaly s'entretient avec Brenda Grant, ergothérapeute et collaboratrice du programme pour discuter d'outils pratiques, des formations offertes et des façons d’organiser un événement Auto-ajuste dans sa communauté. Cet épisode, diffusé dans le cadre du Mois de l’ergothérapie, souligne l’apport essentiel des ergothérapeutes à la sécurité routière et au bien-être au quotidien.

Explorez l’accessibilité comme pilier d’une société véritablement inclusive! Bien au-delà du respect des normes, elle vise à permettre à chacun de se déplacer, d’habiter, de participer et de profiter d'un environnement physique, social et culturel de façon sécuritaire, autonome et digne.

Dans le cadre du Mois de l’ergothérapie, et en lien avec la Conférence canadienne sur la réadaptation à la conduite automobile et le transport (18–19 novembre 2025 à Ottawa), l’animatrice Soëla Bandaly accueille Stéphanie Gamache. Ensemble, elles discutent des enjeux d’accessibilité du domicile et de l’environnement, de l’importance de favoriser l'accès sans obstacle aux activités de plein air, ainsi que du rôle que chaque ergothérapeute peut jouer dans la création de milieux plus inclusifs.

ACE - CAOT

Driving is one of the most complex occupations that humans engage in, requiring a combination of physical, cognitive, neurological, and mental skillsets, which makes it a field that occupational therapists are uniquely suited to provide support in. 

 In this third episode of our five-part bilingual OT Month accessibility series, Tamalea Stone and Maura DuLong, OTs with decades of clinical experience in the field, explore the state of driver rehabilitation practice in Canada, join host Justine Jecker to discuss opportunities to advance clinical, academic, and research work in this area, and reflect on why driver rehabilitation is a cornerstone of occupational therapy practice. 

This November, join OTs and other driver rehabilitation specialists from across the country at the Canadian Driving Rehabilitation and Transportation Conference in Ottawa, alongside the launch of the Canadian Driving Rehabilitation Practice Network.

The will host participants from across Canada representing the full spectrum of mobility industry stakeholders, including occupational therapists, driving instructors, mobility equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers of adaptive driving equipment, researchers, regulators, clients, family, community, educators, decision makers, and funders.

Would this work? CTA could be: Register now!  CAOT / ACE

From environmental assessments to inclusive policy development, occupational therapists have a unique role to play in making air travel more accessible.  

Our guests this episode join us from Université Laval: Ernesto Morales is an OT and professor with a background in architecture and design whose research focuses on inclusive accessibility and design solutions; and David Gotti is a PhD candidate and occupational therapy student who has researched accessibility and inclusion in international air travel extensively.

Together, with host Justine Jecker, they explore strategies such as educating airline staff, advising on environmental modifications, and advocating for accessible aircraft design to reduce barriers in air travel. Listen in for insights on the evolving role of occupational therapy in creating accessible, supportive travel experiences in this second episode of our five-part bilingual OT Month accessibility series.

The Canadian Driving Rehabilitation and Transportation Conference in Ottawa will host participants from across Canada representing the full spectrum of mobility industry stakeholders, including occupational therapists, driving instructors, mobility equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers of adaptive driving equipment, researchers, regulators, clients, family, community, educators, decision makers, and funders.

Register now!

CAOT / ACE

From education and practice gaps to interprofessional collaboration, learn how occupational therapy can expand its role in shaping inclusive spaces, services, and tools that enhance accessibility in the first episode of our five-part, bilingual OT Month series on accessibility!

OTs Teresa Platt and Jaime Jones join us to discuss accessibility in the Canadian occupational therapy context. Together, they unpack what accessibility truly means – the meeting point between people’s capacities and the design and demands of built environments – and explore why OTs are uniquely positioned to identify and address barriers.

Join us for this thoughtful conversation on advancing accessibility skills and expertise within occupational therapy practice and beyond.

CAOT / ACE

Since their first presentation in 2021, occupational therapists and scholars Marie-Lyne Grenier and Janna MacLachlan have engaged thousands of health professionals in rethinking the ways documentation can uphold or challenge systems of power. In our latest episode, they join host Justine Jecker to reflect on how anti-oppressive documentation is reshaping occupational therapy practice.

Learn what anti-oppressive documentation means, explore lessons learned from students and practitioners, and consider the profession’s next steps, including the implications for continuing education, and core occupational therapy curricula. This conversation invites us to imagine documentation as a tool for equity and meaningful change.

You can also learn more about anti-oppressive documentation with Janna and Marie-Lyne through their upcoming CAOT workshop on November 28th, 2025.

Resources:

• Brady, J., & Gingras, J. (2025, October) Changing care: Advancing social justice in the health professions. University of Regina Press.
• MacLachlan, J., & Grenier, M-L. (2022, March). Accounting for our words: Anti-oppressive documentation in occupational therapy practice. Occupational Therapy Now, 25, 27–30.

• Boivin, L., & MacLachlan, J. (2019, July) Reflecting on Indigenous access to informed consent. Occupational Therapy Now, 21, 11-12

• Tsang, A., MacLachlan, J., Cameron, D., Cockburn, L., Fourt, A., Langlois, S., Sangrar, R., Stier, J., & Trentham, B. (2023, May). Accountability within: Conversations on oppression and resistance experienced by occupational therapists. Occupational Therapy Now, 25(3), 20–22.

• Starr, D., & MacLachlan, J. (2021, September)  Plenary recap: Acknowledging and addressing white supremacy in occupational therapy—A dialogue on taking action for change. Occupational Therapy Now, 23 (5), 20-22  (Video of the plenary also available here)

CAOT / ACE

La sexualité — un sujet aussi essentiel que délicat. Trop souvent absente des discussions cliniques, elle demeure pourtant une composante importante du bien-être occupationnel.

Dans cet épisode, notre animatrice Soëla Bandaly s’entretient avec Louis-Pierre Auger, ergothérapeute, pour explorer le rôle de l’ergothérapie dans l’accompagnement de la sexualité et de l’intimité, notamment en contexte de limitations fonctionnelles, de maladie ou de transitions de vie. Ensemble, ils explorent les obstacles à son intégration en pratique et proposent des pistes concrètes pour l’aborder de manière éthique, inclusive et respectueuse. Un échange riche qui invite à voir la sexualité comme une occupation légitime et fondamentale de la santé.

⁠ACE / CAOT

Rooted in person-centred, values-driven care, occupational therapy supports individuals facing life-changing circumstances to live fully—at every stage of their journey. In this episode, occupational therapist Julie Wilding and physician Dr. Samantha Winemaker join host Justine Jecker to explore the role of OT within a palliative approach to care.

Together, they discuss how OT’s holistic lens aligns with palliative principles to enhance quality of life, uphold dignity, and support ongoing engagement in meaningful activities. Discover how working collaboratively, welcoming the unknown, and leading with presence can reshape your relationship with, and understanding of, palliative care.

CAOT / ACE