title: Human rights in occupational therapy education: A step towards a more occupationally just global society.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Education on human rights will place occupational therapists in a strong position to address societal inequities that limit occupational engagement for many client groups. The imminent changes to the Minimum Standard for the Education of Occupational Therapists engender efforts towards social change and will require university-level human rights education. This education might enhance the profession's influence on disadvantaging social structures in order to effect social change. To contribute to the evidence base for social change education in occupational therapy, this research aims to understand the knowledge, skills, confidence and learning experiences of occupational therapy students who completed a human rights course.
  
  
  METHODS
  Final year occupational therapy students responded to questionnaires which included listing human rights, a human rights scale measuring knowledge and confidence for working towards human rights, and open questions. Numbers of rights listed, knowledge scores and confidence scores were calculated. Responses to the open questions were thematically analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After completing a human rights course, students had good knowledge and moderate confidence to work with human rights. Three themes were identified including 'learning about human rights', 'learning about structural, societal and global perspectives on occupational engagement' and 'learning how occupational therapists can work with groups, communities and populations: becoming articulate and empowered'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human rights education fosters the development of occupational therapists who are skilled, knowledgeable, confident and empowered to address occupational injustices, according to these research findings. To develop a more occupationally just global society, education that considers iniquitous social structures and human rights is necessary.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aplin
authors.affiliation: Autism CRC Ltd, Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism and School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodger
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006806:Human Rights / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D028701:Patient Rights; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: health status disparities; human rights; occupational justice; occupational therapy education; vulnerable population