Episode 64: Anti-Oppressive Documentation in Occupational Therapy Practice

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, 11-12Tsang, 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