This OT Week, Australia’s occupational therapists are done staying quiet

Occupational Therapy Week is typically a time to celebrate the difference occupational therapists make in people’s lives. But this year, many say they’re in no mood to celebrate.

According to Helen Whait, founder of ActivOT and spokesperson for a growing group of concerned practitioners, the sector is at breaking point.

“We’re exhausted, underpaid, and reaching breaking point. This OT Week, we’re saying enough is enough,” Whait said.

A profession under pressure

Occupational therapy has long been one of Australia’s “quietly essential” professions—rarely making headlines, but playing a crucial role in helping people recover from trauma, illness, injury, and loss of function.

Now, however, practitioners are speaking out about what they describe as a system that’s become unsustainable.

For seven years, NDIS pricing for occupational therapy has remained stagnant. Travel reimbursements—critical for home and outreach care—have been halved. Meanwhile, costs for fuel, rent, insurance, and compliance have continued to climb.

Whait says the impact is devastating.

“I’ve never seen so many occupational therapy businesses leaving the sector. Those who remain are tired, disillusioned, and wondering how much longer they can hold on.”

The numbers paint a grim picture

Occupational Therapy Australia’s 2025 NDIS Provider Survey shows:

• - 55% of providers made no profit in 2024–25.

• - 14% are already planning to close their doors.

• - A further 50% are considering exiting within three years.

• - 92% have had to reduce travel and outreach.

• - Over half now have waitlists exceeding three months.

“This isn’t just about money,” Whait said. “It’s about the sustainability of a system that Australians rely on.”

Behind every cut is a person

This OT Week, Whait and colleagues have released a video campaign highlighting what funding cuts really mean—not just for occupational therapists, but for the people they support every day.

The video features OTs from across the country sharing stories from the frontline:

• “When therapy hours are slashed, community participation disappears first.”

• “When equipment trials aren’t funded, participants are left with solutions that don’t work—or none at all.”

• “When travel isn’t funded, rural communities are excluded entirely.”

“We want the same thing policymakers do: a sustainable, effective, efficient NDIS. But we can’t keep going under funding models that make it impossible to deliver quality care or reach the people who need us most,” Whait said.

What OTs are calling for

This OT Week, the profession is urging the government to:

• Restore fair funding for occupational therapy.

• Protect outreach and travel, ensuring regional Australians aren’t left behind.

• Co-design pricing with those who actually deliver care.

• Ensure accountability from the top down.

“Occupational therapy gives people independence, confidence, and hope,” Whait said.

“But right now, funding cuts are taking that away. Everyone deserves the chance to live with dignity, safety, and hope.”