Implicit Bias

Implicit bias is an automatic subconscious way of thinking we all have about people. This bias can influence how we act as well. Implicit bias is something that we as people could develop over time because of many factors -- where we live, how we were raised, our religion, the media, etc. Subconscious is the key word here. Many of us may think of ourselves as fair and accepting of all people. But chances are, we all have some sort of implicit bias -- good or bad. 

It's important for OT students and practitioners to learn about implicit bias because it's crucial for our practice of being client-centered and respectful. Implicit bias can affect our interactions with clients without us even knowing. We don't want to treat some of our clients better/worse than others. Some ways we can examine and address our own implicit bias is to take the Project Implicit survey, take continuing education courses, educate ourselves by reading up on how to override implicit bias, and just doing some self reflection.

My big take-away from this session is to not think we are excluded from having implicit bias. If we subconsciously think a certain way, couldn't this cause us to subconsciously act a certain way as well? We want to bring our implicit bias to light so we can eliminate it from our minds in order to treat our clients well. They all deserve equal opportunity. Like we always say, everyone deserves the right to participate in the activities that are meaningful to them.