Support an Inclusive Code of Ethics

“We don’t need politics to care for our patients” Dr. Christopher Alterio

          In 2010, the AOTA Ethics Commission injected a controversial and divisive requirement into the Code of Ethics: the Social Justice requirement. Soon after the Social Justice requirement became official, three members filed a motion to have it removed from the Code of Ethics. A poll of AOTA members found that 60% of those surveyed supported the motion to remove the requirement. Despite this, the Representative Assembly voted to keep it in.

           AOTA should be welcoming occupational therapists with diverse backgrounds, including those who represent political diversity. The Code of Ethics should stay true to its commitment to inclusion and diversity, something that’s impossible with a social justice requirement. The social justice requirement violates those values by putting the politics of some above the acceptance of all.

         Some may ask, if we get rid of the social justice requirement, do we give up our commitment to (1) standing against discrimination, (2) promoting health and well-being, (3) respecting the dignity of others, and (4) protecting our client’s legislated rights to health care services?

          The answer is: Absolutely not! The AOTA Code of Ethics contains several other requirements such as Beneficence, Procedural Justice, and Fidelity that address these concerns. In fact, the parts of the Social Justice requirement that make it functional were taken directly from the Beneficence requirement in the 2005 Code of Ethics. These functional parts of the Social Justice requirement can simply be transferred back to the Beneficence requirement. By removing the Social Justice requirement all we do is remove divisive political language that denigrates some members of the profession for the purpose of advancing the politics of others.

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