In this keynote, The Power of Purpose – Occupational Therapy for a Transforming World, Professor Elspeth Froude reflects on the shared purpose that unites occupational therapists across cultures, settings, and roles, and considers what that purpose demands in a changing global context. Drawing on decades of experience as a clinician, educator, researcher, and leader, she explores occupational therapy’s core focus on supporting participation in meaningful occupations and argues for a clearer, more widely understood expression of the profession’s value. The keynote positions purpose not simply as a guiding idea, but as a practical force that shapes how occupational therapists respond to complexity, communicate their contribution, and lead change.
The session highlights the importance of keeping participation, meaning, and context at the centre of practice, while also recognising the need for approaches that are culturally responsive, socially aware, and grounded in the realities of people’s lives. Professor Froude reflects on occupational therapy’s future through themes including social justice, person, family and community-centred practice, leadership, and the need to move beyond narrow impairment-focused models towards outcomes that genuinely matter in everyday life. Across the keynote, a clear message emerges: the power of occupational therapy lies in its purpose, and in the profession’s ability to translate that purpose into action that is relevant, inclusive, and transformative in a rapidly changing world.
