Occupational Therapists Provide Wheelchair Assessments for better quality of life
A properly fitted wheelchair, carefully chosen to meet you for your short and long-term needs can significantly increase your function and improve your quality of life. A comprehensive wheelchair and seating assessment, conducted by an Occupational Therapist (OT), is essential to getting the right fit and the right wheelchair for you.
What is a Wheelchair Assessment?
A wheelchair assessment is a thorough evaluation to determine the most suitable wheelchair and seating system for your specific current, and potential future needs. Performed by a trained and qualified occupational therapist, this assessment ensures that the wheelchair selection will provide the necessary support, comfort, and functionality you need, and that the chair can move safely and comfortably within and between environments.
Why is a Wheelchair Assessment Important?
A wheelchair assessment addresses your unique needs. It measures your upper and lower extremity strength, ability to propel/drive the chair, postural endurance, sitting balance, physical and environmental barriers, cognition, and your unique activities and goals.
Without this assessment, you may end up with a wheelchair that is uncomfortable, difficult to maneuver, or inadequate for your daily activities, leading to decreased independence and potential health risks. A well-fitted wheelchair enhances mobility, promotes independence, and supports overall health.
Who Needs a Wheelchair Assessment?
Anyone who needs a wheelchair, whether for temporarily or long-term use, benefits from a wheelchair assessment. If it is your first chair or you are looking for a replacement chair because of your changing needs, a wheelchair assessment can help you be more comfortable and more functional.
A wheelchair assessment by a regulated professional is also necessary for anyone requiring documentation to acquire funding for a wheelchair. OTs can prepare funding justification letters for extended health benefits and insurance companies that often require an OT assessment prior to funding a wheelchair.
What Happens During an OT Wheelchair Assessment?
- Interview: The process begins with an in-depth conversation about your daily routines, health history, and specific needs and goals.
- Environmental Considerations: The assessment considers the environments where you will use the wheelchair, such as the home, workplace, or community settings, and whether it will be needed outside or inside, on transit or while driving.
- Physical Examination: The OT completes a screen of your physical, functional abilities and identifies any safety concerns.
- Measurements: The OT takes precise measurements to ensure the wheelchair will fit and support your body.
- Trial and Fitting: You may trial various wheelchair options to find the best fit, and adjustments are made as necessary.
- Training and Education: Once the ideal wheelchair system is selected, the OT may provide you and/or your caregivers with education and training on its use, maintenance, and safety.
What OTs Assess in a Wheelchair Assessment
OTs consider a variety of factors during the assessment, including:
- Medical Profile: Awareness of a specific diagnosis or prognosis relevant to the wheelchair need, and whether the condition is temporary, stable or progressive in nature.
- Posture and Seating: Ensuring proper alignment to prevent discomfort and long-term health issues, as well as to facilitate functional goals.
- Mobility Needs: Determining the ability to move, self-propel and drive or level of assistance required for effective mobility.
- Daily Activities: Understanding how you will use the wheelchair in your everyday life.
- Environment: Understanding various settings your wheelchair will be used in.
- Safety Concerns: Ensuring the wheelchair is safe for your specific circumstances.
Collaboration
Furthermore, OTs often collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, doctors, physiatrists and rehabilitation specialists, to ensure a comprehensive and thorough understanding of your medical situation. They also collaborate with medical equipment vendors, in order to recommend the most suitable wheelchair system, considering the most up-to-date equipment available. Finally, they collaborate with you and your family members, if you are in agreement. This collaborative approach ensures that all aspects of your health and lifestyle are considered, and the best solution is identified.
Examples of Recommended Equipment
- Standard Manual Wheelchair: A manual wheelchair may be considered for the most active users with the ability to self-propel and sit for longer periods of time. They can also be designed to be attendant-propelled, in which case the sizing needs of the individual most likely to be pushing it will also be considered. Features like specialized seating and power add-on can also be considered, to offer greater support and independence.
- Tilt-in-Space Wheelchair: This type of equipment may be considered for individuals who have more complex postural needs or require greater pressure redistribution, as these wheelchairs enable changes of seating angle and pressure redistribution while maintaining support and reducing shearing effects on the skin. This type of wheelchair may also help improve the line of vision and increase the sitting tolerance.
- Power Wheelchair: A motorized wheelchair may be recommended for individuals with limited body strength, postural and/or mobility endurance. The OT will consider the user’s functional/mobility goals, ability to control the wheelchair while navigating environments and the need for additional component features, such as power tilt or recline functions.
- Custom Seating: For individuals with more specific positioning/seating needs or complex medical history, a custom seating assessment addresses areas of the wheelchair user’s needs which may fall outside of the typical user profile, such as a backrest which requires custom molding and hip guides to maintain posture or a customized headrest shape and position to accommodate a fixed neck angle. Customization requires the OT to work closely with a medical equipment vendor skilled in wheelchair customizations to ensure that the final seating system is tailored to the user’s unique requirements and long-term needs.
As equipment becomes more complex, the lengthier and more detailed the assessment becomes. Longer assessments for complex needs are more costly than short assessments for simple needs.
Summary
A wheelchair assessment may require multiple visits to ensure the best fit and functionality. Every individual person’s situation is unique, and there is no “one size fits all” approach to selecting a wheelchair system.
The skills of an Occupational Therapist and a personalized, comprehensive assessment help ensure that the investment in a wheelchair meets your specific needs. Finding the right chair that fits will lead to your comfortable participation in the things you want to do and help get you to places you want to go.
Our Team
Our OT Works! team of OTs have experience in wheelchair assessments. We provide personalized, comprehensive evaluations that result in meaningful outcomes for our clients.
Contact Us Today
If you or someone you know need a wheelchair assessment, contact us today.
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Vancouver: 604.696.1066
Victoria: 250.999.8896
Making a Difference: OT Works! Commitment to Community Support
At OT Works!, we are committed to making a meaningful impact.
We believe that consistent, sustainable and long-term support is the key to driving fundamental shifts in mindsets and lasting change.
Throughout the years, OT Works has been a monthly supporter of local organizations that champion social justice, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment.
Initiatives OT Works! supports
Project Change Foundation provides small grants and mentorship to emerging charities with bold visions for positive change. Past beneficiaries include Food Stash Foundation, Courage in Action, The Lipstick Project, Backpack Buddies, Inspire Community Outreach, Refugee Women’s Network.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada mission is to conserve nature and address urgent threats to biodiversity. Guided by science and Indigenous wisdom, WWF Canada envisions a thriving future for wildlife, nature, and people.
Plan International Canada advocates for children’s rights and gender equality. Plan Canada supports girls and children in overcoming oppression, exploitation, and inequality.
Driving Positive Change
Occupational Therapists are dedicated to improving lives. At OT Works!, we extend this mission beyond our practice by contributing to organizations that inspire progress. Together, we’re building a better, more equitable world.
OT Works! remains committed to empowering communities in Canada and globally. Let’s shape the future—together.
OT Works! Holiday Hours
OT Works! will be closed during the holidays.
We will be back to our regular hours on January 02, 2025, when we will be accepting new clients in Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky, Victoria, Nanaimo, and the Comox Valley.
| Monday, December 23, 2024 | Open, 9am-5pm |
| Tuesday, December 24, 2024 | Open, 9am-12pm |
| Wednesday, December 25, 2024 | Closed |
| Thursday, December 26, 2024 | Closed |
| Friday, December 27, 2024 | Closed |
| Monday, December 30, 2024 | Closed |
| Tuesday, December 31, 2024 | Closed |
| Wednesday, January 01, 2025 | Closed |
| Thursday, January 02, 2025 | Open, 9am-5pm |
| Friday, January 03, 2025 | Open, 9am-5pm |
Regular business hours resume on January 02.
We wish you a very Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year!
Get started with an OT
Our therapists at OT Works! are registered and in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC). Our approach is based on current research and evidence-based practice.
If you or someone you know could benefit from occupational therapy, contact us today!
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Vancouver: 604.696.1066
Victoria: 250.999.8896
Introducing Trent Sanders: Occupational Therapist at OT Works!
We’re happy to welcome Trent Sanders to our team!
Joining us in September 2024, Trent brings a unique blend of experience, with a special focus on integrating mental and physical health to help clients engage fully in life. Trent joined us in September 2024 and has a deep interest in the intersections of mental health and physical health, and finding unique ways to support clients to achieve participation in their preferred occupations.
Trent graduated from Queen’s University in Ontario and has a rich background, from working as a kayak guide in BC and Australia to supporting adults with developmental differences as a Case Manager. His passion for mental health recovery shines through in his work with clients across Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster.
Trent is a registered member of the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC, offering services to clients through WSBC, ICBC, private insurance, and self-pay.
We’re excited to see the positive impact Trent will bring to our clients and community!
Get started with an OT
If you or someone you know can benefit from the support of an occupational therapist, reach out to us today!
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Phone: 604.696.1066 ext. 1000.
Celebrating Occupational Therapy: Join Us for OT Month this October!
Every October, OT Works! celebrates Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, honouring the contributions of our dedicated Occupational Therapists and the difference they make in the lives of our clients.
Occupational Therapy for All: OT Month 2024
The theme for OT Month this year, as set by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), is “Occupational Therapy for All.”
This global initiative highlights the role that Occupational Therapists play in empowering individuals, communities, and populations to take part in the meaningful activities of daily life—whether through work, leisure, or self-care.
Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with clients to restore, maintain, and improve their ability to engage in everyday tasks that are important to them. By supporting people through various life challenges, from physical injuries to mental health conditions, OTs help foster independence and improve quality of life.
“We all need and deserve to participate in the activities we value, to have a sense of purpose and meaning. Occupational Therapy facilitates the “doing” through active listening, reflection, collaborative problem solving, skill building and the development of meaningful goals.
Pamela Russell, Clinical Director, OT Works!
Whether you’re a firefighter with PTSD, a teacher with a concussion, an athlete with chronic pain, a grandmother wanting to stay independent in her home as she ages, a trans person looking for community, an Indigenous elder supporting their Nation, or someone like you and me…
We need to feel heard. We need to be seen. We need to find a balance of meaningful activities to foster health and well-being, so each person and each community thrives. Occupational Therapists hear and see their clients, meet them where they are at, and support them on their journey to maintain or regain their important activities, and live a full and abundant life.”
Lighting up the country for World OT Day
On October 27th, World Occupational Therapy Day, landmarks across Canada will be illuminated in blue to raise awareness about the field of occupational therapy and celebrate the profession’s rich history. In British Columbia, several landmarks will shine blue in recognition of this important day, including Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium and Science World; Victoria’s Parliament Buildings, and Confederation Garden Park Fountain and Waterfall; City of Nanaimo Bastion; and Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake Fountain and LED Light Pole.
OT Works! – Supporting Communities Across BC
At OT Works!, we are proud of our team of talented and qualified therapists, all certified by the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC). Our therapists have experience in assisting clients with a diverse range of needs, providing physical rehabilitation, mental health care, and brain injury recovery. Whether serving clients across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky region, or Vancouver Island, our mission is to help individuals achieve their personal and professional goals through unique, evidence-based and compassionate care.
Discover More about Occupational Therapy
As we celebrate OT Month and World OT Day, we encourage you to learn more about Occupational Therapy by exploring resources from the following organizations:
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (CAOT)
World Federation of Occupational Therapy
Thank You for Celebrating OT Month with Us!
Join us in celebrating OT Month and continue supporting the mission to empower individuals in their journey toward better health and well-being. Happy OT Month!
Meet Japneet Brar: Occupational Therapist
We’re excited to introduce Japneet Brar, MScOT, to OT Works!
Japneet joined us in July 2024 and brings a strong academic background and diverse clinical experience.
She earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto in 2022 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Systems from the University of British Columbia.
Japneet has worked in various settings, including acute care, community outreach, and clinics, where she has supported clients with conditions such as traumatic brain injuries, orthopedic injuries, chronic pain, and more.
Japneet offers her services to clients across the Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Surrey, and Langley. She works with individuals covered by WSBC, ICBC, private insurance, and self-paying clients. Japneet is a registered member of the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC).
We’re excited to have Japneet on board and look forward to the valuable contributions she’ll make.
Get started with an OT
If you or someone you know can benefit from the support of an occupational therapist, reach out to us today!
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Phone: 604.696.1066 ext. 1000.
Join OT Works! as an Occupational Therapist
Grow your career with OT Works!
We’re hiring OTs in Metro Vancouver, and in the Sunshine Coast, BC.
What we offer
- Compensation: Market-leading pay, sign-on bonus, paid training.
- Clinical Support: Experienced leadership, structured mentorship, report writing support, comprehensive resources, ongoing professional development, and cloud-based technology.
- Variety and Flexibility: Flexible schedules, diverse clients, reliable work, and the freedom to define your caseload.
- Culture: Collaborative team, respect, gratitude, administrative support, regular social and holiday events.
Why choose OT Works?
Since 2000, our commitment to values and people has fueled our growth. At OT Works!, you’re more than a number—we value each therapist and client as individuals. Our environment inspires passion and excellence, fostering professional development at all career stages.
Our Therapists Say:
“OT Works! is a gem in the working world. It is a small, personable company that thrives on personal connection with its consultants.
Randy McVeigh (joined 2014)
It is a values-based business that prioritizes integrity, contribution to the community, and delivering high quality OT work. Its work-life balance and the foundation of respect upon which the company is based make OT Works! a joy to work for.”
“OT Works! combines the positive benefits of private practice with a company that is passionate about treating each person with respect and integrity.”
Hannah Melnychuk (joined 2006)
Current Opportunities
We welcome new graduates: experience is valued but not required.
More about being an OT at OT Works!
What you’ll do:
- Assess and treat clients in community settings.
- Work with clients with physical, brain injury, and mental health conditions.
- Serve a diverse clientele (ICBC, WorkSafeBC, insurers, government programs).
- Deliver care independently with team support.
- Prepare and submit reports.
- Define your caseload.
What you’ll need:
- Degree in Occupational Therapy
- COTBC membership (or eligibility)
- Valid driver’s license and vehicle
- Legal ability to work in Canada.
You’ll do well in this job if you:
- Exhibit strong critical thinking and clinical reasoning.
- Collaborate well with peers and networks.
- Show passion, creativity, and drive.
- Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
About Us
OT Works! is a team of occupational therapists providing personalized, community-based rehabilitation. We serve clients in their homes, workplaces, and communities, assisting those affected by motor vehicle accidents, workplace incidents, disabilities, and illnesses.
We help people neurological, orthopedic, and psychological conditions, including brain injuries, repetitive strain injuries, fractures, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
Our approach combines an understanding of our client’s experience with objective, functional information and medical opinion, to facilitate a meaningful and successful recovery. We provide active-based, goal-driven, client-centered therapy that considers the whole person.
Apply now!
If you are an OT looking for flexibility, value-based practice, and a culture of support and growth, we want to hear from you! Send your resume to hello@ot-works.com.
If you are considering a career change or just starting out and are not sure if private practice is right for you, contact us to speak with one of our therapists about life at OT Works!
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21
Every June 21, Canada celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day, a special day to honor the history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
Why June 21?
The date coincides with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. For generations, many Indigenous groups have marked this day with celebrations of their culture and heritage.
How to Get Involved
Across Canada, vibrant events and activities take place on June 21 to highlight the rich cultural expressions and stories of Indigenous peoples. To find a local event, visit the Government of Canada’s website.
How We Celebrate at OT Works!
At OT Works!, we are dedicated to learning about and honoring Indigenous cultures and contributions. Here’s how we celebrate:
- Cultural Education: We adopt and study the Indigenous Cultural Safety, Humility, and Anti-Racism standard of practice, as recommended by the College of Occupational Therapists of BC (COTBC).
- Community Engagement: We encourage our team to attend local Indigenous events.
- Monthly Updates: We present new information monthly about Indigenous cultures, issues, and ways to support their communities.
- Featured Presentation: We showcase Len Pierre’s presentation on Allyship from the WorkSafeBC conference.
Learn More and Get Inspired
Join us in celebrating and learning about the rich heritage of Indigenous peoples in Canada!
Funding for Occupational Therapy in BC
Finding the right services and funding is crucial when recovering from an injury. This guide will help you find possible options to fund Occupational Therapy services with OT Works!
What Occupational Therapists do
Community Occupational Therapists (OTs) help people get back to their important daily activities after an injury or disability.
They work with people in their real-life settings: in their homes, workplaces or in their community.
Having an OT help you in your real world can make a significant impact on your recovery.
What to expect of an OT assessment?
Who pays for Occupational Therapy?
Community OT is not covered by MSP, however, there are many possible funding options depending on your individual circumstances and type of injury.
At OT Works! we accept funding from several sources:
WorkSafeBC
Covers OT for work-related injuries. Contact your WorkSafeBC claim manager to refer you to OT Works!
OT Works! is an approved providers under the Occupational Therapy Services contract. We serve WorkSafeBC clients with physical and brain injuries, and mental health. We also assist clients working with a Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant through WorkSafeBC.
ICBC
Covers OT for motor-vehicle accident (MVA) injuries.
You will need to have an open injury claim with ICBC, and provide us with a doctor’s note supporting OT to help you with the injuries or symptoms related to the MVA.
Once you have provided the doctor’s note, our team will contact ICBC in your behalf to secure funding for you.
Start Occupational Therapy after a car accident
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
We’re an approved provider for veterans. Request a referral from your VAC Case Manager.
RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members
Funding may be available through your Occupational Nurse. Call us for more information.
Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)
Discuss OT coverage with your CVAP case manager.
Vancouver Island Health Authority – Brain Injury Program
If you have a brain injury and lives in Vancouver Island, OT may be funded by the Vancouver Island Health Authority Brain Injury Program (VIHA-BIP).
Please contact the program for details.
Employers
Employers may fund OT to aid in your return to work and for performance improvement. Our OTs have experience providing ergonomic assessments and return-to-work plans to workers across BC.
Please contact us and we can send a cost estimate directly to your employer.
Private pay
Self-referral is an option if other funding is unavailable. No doctor’s referral needed.
Contact our team and we can advise you of our fees.
Self-Funded OT services
There are some other situations that may require OT services to be paid out-of-pocket:
BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations (BC RAHA)
If you’re looking for home modifications through BC RAHA, you must pay for OT privately, and submit the receipt for a partial reimbursement from the program.
Please check BC RAHA’s website for program eligibility and reimbursement amounts.
Extended Health Benefits
Unfortunately, OT Works! cannot direct bill your extended health benefits provider. We request that you pay for services, and then submit the receipt to your benefits provider for reimbursement. Check your policy for details.
OT Works! cannot bill the Ministry of Health or Disability Assistance programs. Please visit their websites for more information on providers and funding.
Get started with and OT
If you or someone you know could benefit from Occupational Therapy, contact us today to start your rehabilitation journey!
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Vancouver: 604.696.1066
Victoria: 250.999.8896
Occupational Therapists Support Mental Health Recovery and Create Return to Work Success
Returning to work after a mental health diagnosis or injury can be difficult.
Mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and trauma can have a significant impact on people’s lives. These conditions can disrupt not only personal lives but also relationships, daily activities, and the ability to work.
In fact, mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada. Every week at least 500,000 Canadians miss work due to mental illness and the resulting personal, workplace and economic impacts can be devastating.
For employers in British Columbia, compliance with Bill 41 is now mandatory, requiring them to provide suitable work options for employees dealing with mental health challenges.
Occupational Therapists have the skills and experience to help individuals with mental health conditions to return to work and enjoy life again. OTs also collaborate with employers to implement cost-effective workplace accommodations.
At OT Works!, we have a deep understanding of Mental Health and Return-to-Work
- Our approach focuses on listening to your needs, empowering you, and working collaboratively with your medical team.
- We tailor our strategies to meet you where you are, helping you navigate the path to recovery step by step.
- We ensure that you remain at the forefront of your care plan while maintaining your privacy and confidentiality.
- Our therapists have comprehensive knowledge and extensive training on mental health and how it affects return-to-work
- Our team has helped clients through WorkSafeBC, ICBC, Veterans Affairs, RCMP, private insurers, and employers.
- We have experience working with Bill 41, facilitating a gradual return to the workplace, ensuring a safe and successful transition.
“We know that work is not just about earning a living; it’s about finding purpose, building confidence, and connecting with others. Returning to work after a mental health diagnosis or injury is a crucial step towards recovery, and our experienced therapists have been supporting individuals in this journey for over two decades. “
Pamela Russell, Clinical Director, OT Works!
Case Study: Firefighter with PTSD
OT Works! was requested to assist a firefighter diagnosed with PTSD.
This worker had experienced multiple traumatic events, and was suffering with nightmares, sleep issues, and avoidance of the location of one of the events.
Randy McVeigh, an occupational therapist with OT Works! with 10 years of experience, helping clients with mental health diagnoses was assigned to this client
After an initial OT assessment, Randy created an evidence-based treatment plan unique to the client’s needs.
Randy alternated treatment sessions between in situ exposure therapy and counselling sessions at the client’s home.
The client was ready to begin attending emotionally charged locations right away, and after demonstrating the ability to do so, Randy allowed the client to identify locations with traumatic significance. Together, Randy and the client drove to each location, parked the car and got out. At the location of the scene, the client described what happened in detail, and how it affected him. The client found that being able to tell his stories helped him to process them, in a way he is not usually able, as people in his life are often uncomfortable hearing about what happened.
After recounting the stories, the client and Randy spent some time in mindfulness. Randy encouraged the client to notice various aspects of the present-day location, especially the sensory experiences (e.g. sounds, feeling of the air on the skin, the grass or pavement beneath the feet), emphasizing, particularly, the aspects which are now different from the original accident (e.g. peaceful, different season). The purpose of this is to give the client a new and different experience of the location, so that his nervous system can be less firmly attached to the original story.
Randy also provided education of various aspects of PTSD management, including creating SMART goals. Randy encouraged and provided strategies so the client could experiment with different approaches, including:
- Socializing with firefighters
- Mindfulness practices
- Journalling
- Setting up schedules and routines
- Identifying values and motivations
- Crafting coping plans
After working with Randy for a few months, the client has met several goals:
- Returned to the firehall for the first time since going on leave
- Returned to formal and informal social events with firefighters and friends
- Socializing with his family, including in locations that were previously triggering to him
- Went on to numerous sites of accident scenes, often for the first time since the incidents, and has reversed his pattern of avoiding them
- His PTSD symptoms and responses to triggers are milder, and much better managed
“It made all the difference to have my OT come to my house. I was scared to leave and was hiding under the bed and in the closet. Unlike previous providers, my OT treated me like a human, genuinely cared, and wanted to know more about me and what’s important to me. First responders are wired differently, trained differently, can be stubborn, don’t like change, and have a hard time opening up. But my OT understood that, was positive and patient, gently pulled information out of me, and ultimately helped me get back to work. My OT changed my life and I can’t say enough that’s positive about this OT.”
Client with PTSD, who worked with Randy
Occupational Therapists facilitate meaningful recovery from mental health conditions, empowering individuals to reclaim their lives and get back to work with confidence.
If you or someone you know need help from an OT, contact us today.
Email: referrals@ot-works.com
Vancouver: 604.696.1066
Victoria: 250.999.8896