Physical Therapy as a Culturally Diverse and Inclusive Profession: Building the Foundation
Transforming society, as movement experts, entails that we as practitioners also become adept in navigating and applying important skills.ÊAs outlined in the Guiding Principles that support the APTA Vision: "The physical therapy profession embraces cultural competence as a necessary skill to ensure best practice in providing physical therapist services by responding to individual and cultural considerations, needs, and values." There is also aÊneed for cultivating diversity in the physical therapy workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities and society we serve. How do we become moreÊculturallyÊcompetent practitioners so that we canÊnavigate the diverse conversations andÊinteractionsÊwhile ensuring thatÊour interventions are evidence-based? There is no one route; there are different ways to achieve a common goal and they are being explored at different levels. Explore the benefits of a holistic admissions approach in engaging underrepresented minority groups, community outreach programs to raise awareness in as young as elementary schoolchildren, and engagement opportunities for professionals and students. Learn various approaches in cultural competence initiatives at individual, employer, component, and national levels.