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One of the results of WWII was the thousands of soldiers returning back home from fighting on the front lines with wounded physical and mental states. Around this time period, there was a great increase in need for rehabilitation services to manage this issue. There was a large paradigm shift within OT away from the arts and crafts model and toward rehabilitation/restoration of function (Christiansen Haertl, 2024). Physical rehabilitation continues to be a major practice setting in OT today.
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Wilma West served as a U.S. army colonel during WWII alongside Ruth Robinson. She was the executive director of AOTA from 1947-1952 where she emphasized the importance of advancement in the profession. Wilma West went on to become the president of the AOTF where she highlighted the significance of research as it pertained to professional advancement (Christiansen Haertl, 2024). Research/evidence-based practice and professional development continue to be foundational to the OT profession today. -
Helen Willard was an influential figure in occupational therapy. She co-authored the first textbook, Principles of Occupational Therapy, now known as Willard and Spackman. Occupational therapy educational programs continue to use this textbook to this day. Helen Willard was instrumental in establishing the World Federation of Occupational Therapists in 1952 and she served as the AOTA President from 1958 to 1961 (AOTA, 2022). Both of these professional organizations continue to exist today. -
Occupational therapy is listed in the Vocational Rehabilitation Act Amendments as a service provided in rehabilitation facilities. These amendments resulted in the development of pre-vocational units within rehabilitation facilities where OTPs worked tirelessly to establish principles for pre-vocational exploration (AOTA, 1980). This served as the beginning of OT's role in physical dysfunction/rehabilitation, which continues to be one of the three major practice settings in our profession today. -
Colonel Ruth A. Robinson served in the U.S. army from 1948-1952 and 1958-1962. She used her position in the military to support the development of OT educational programs for individuals preparing to serve in the military. Between 1955-1958, Robinson was president of AOTA. She also became a member, chair, and consultant to the Committee of Occupational Therapy Assistants, serving as a major advocate for OTAs (West, 1989). Today, educational programs and OTAs play a vital role in the profession. -
Occupational therapy assistant programs were started this year to address the increasing demands for occupational therapy in the workforce. OTA programs became accredited by AOTA two years later in 1958 (Christiansen Haertl, 2024). According to ACOTE (2025), there are currently 219 accredited OTA programs in existence. As of 2023, 52,100 OTAs were employed and making their mark in the field (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). OTAs continue to serve a profound role in this profession. -
Dr. Mary Reilly, a clinician in the US Army Medical Corps and professor at USC, delivered her Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture, a prestigious honor awarded to an AOTA member who has “creatively contributed to the development of the profession’s body of knowledge” (AOTA, 2025). Dr. Reilly made a call to action for the entire profession to “regain its roots in occupation” (Christiansen Haertl, 2024, p. 26). Occupation remains central to OT, guiding both evaluation and intervention. -
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. This significant piece of legislation banned discrimination and segregation based on race, color, religion, or sex (Accessibility.com, 2025). This act impacted the OT profession by promoting greater equity, access, and inclusion in healthcare and education. Additional legislation, combined with the Civil Rights Act, expanded the scope of OT to community and school-based settings (Christiansen Haertl, 2024, p. 25). -
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid programs into effect, which provided federally subsidized health care to disabled and elderly Americans (Accessibility.com, 2025). This turning point in U.S. history brought OT practitioners into new settings such as hospitals, clinics, and eventually schools. Medicare and Medicaid laid the groundwork for increased services for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and the poor (Christiansen Haertl, 2024, p. 25). -
AOTA launched the American Occupational Therapy Foundation in order to “advance the science of occupational therapy and to increase the public knowledge and understanding of occupational therapy” (AOTA, 2022). Efforts such as these highlighted both science and theory development, which resulted in improved graduate education and the eventual development of models, theories, and frames of reference that continue to guide OT practice today (Christiansen Haertl, 2024, p. 25). -
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, signed by President Nixon, protected individuals with disabilities. Section 501 banned discrimination in federal jobs, and Section 504 ensured equal access in federally funded programs, including schools (NCD, 2023). This act laid the foundation for future disability rights legislation (i.e., ADA of 1990). These laws, particularly section 504, prove essential in school-based OT today as it allows for student accommodations to promote increased access to education. -
In 1975, President Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now IDEA), requiring public schools to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education to students with disabilities (U.S. Congress, 1975). IEPs were established and OT moved into schools to support student success. IDEA continues to serve as a powerful piece of legislation in schools today requiring that eligible students with disabilities receives special education and related services, including OT (U.S. DOE, 2025).