Introduction: Occupational therapy students learning about the Typology for Environmental and Contextual Factors (TECF; Kirschner et al., 2023) were asked about the utility and usability of the typology’s terminology to inspire practice focused on environmental and contextual factors impacting human occupational engagement. The findings are presented here.
Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will:
Integrate TECF terminology with existing environmental and contextual factors from the ICF
Articulate how this usable terminology advances practice to innovate contextual and environmental changes that enhance inclusion and accessibility for occupational engagement
Methods: Occupational therapy students at two universities were given lessons with examples of practical applications of how to apply the TECF terminology to identify environmental and contextual factors in practice. Feedback was collected from the students using a mixed method survey, with Likert-scale and open-ended questions to measure the perceived utility and usability of the typology.
Results: Results indicated that students agree that the TECF terminology can be readily integrated into practice, encourage prioritizing evaluating environmental and contextual factors affecting participation, and encourage interventions that address environmental and contextual factors impacting occupational participation.
Conclusion: Universal and uniform terminology to identify the environmental and contextual factors that support or diminish participation is vital if we intend to take a more holistic view of disability, one that is consistent with the World Health Organization’s understanding of health and participation. This language facilitates greater understanding of the role of the environment and leads to more complete clinical reasoning, better evaluations, interventions and outcomes.