COTAD is committed to standing in solidarity with activists and advocates in Florida and want to attend AOTA Inspire 2024 to show our commitment to their liberation and health. However, the state of Florida has enacted multiple discriminatory laws and policies that target particularly trans, gender-expansive, and queer people, in addition to multiple restrictive policies around diversity, equity, and inclusion that will greatly influence the safety of anti-oppression advocates who are disproportionately queer, disabled and occupational therapy practitioners of color. 

Queer Safety

• Florida has enacted SB1674 which criminalizes individuals who use bathrooms that do not coincide with the gender they were assigned at birth. This actively creates physical and legal danger for trans and gender-expansive practitioners, clients, vendors, and students.
  Equality Florida has issued a travel advisory given these hostile policies toward LGBTQ people.
• Florida has enacted SB 254 which strips parental rights from parents supporting gender affirming care for their children as well as criminalizes providers who provide gender affirming care to their patients.
• Florida has enacted HB 1557 which bans books and other materials that discuss gender and sexual diversity in schools.
• While Orlando has been described as a queer friendly city, recently local traffic equipment was hacked to broadcast a hate message calling for violence against queer people.
• For some time, California has banned state funds from being spent on travel to Florida given these safety concerns. Given the increasing severity of these discriminatory laws, other states may follow this approach, restricting employees from traveling to the conference. 

DEI Advocate Safety

• Florida has enacted SB 266 which bans public institutions from funding or putting resources behind any initiative that purports to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• The NAACP has also issued a travel advisory in response to these policies and Florida’s attempts to erase Black history and restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools. Not only will this restrict academic institutions from educating person-centered and justice-oriented practitioners, but could also potentially put OT programs at risk for not meeting ACOTE standards.
• Florida has actively restricted courses and materials that describe and honor Black experiences and history in the US, such as high school AP courses.
• Florida has enacted SB 1718 which prohibits the transportation of undocumented migrants into the state, does not recognize out of state IDs to undocumented migrants, forces hospitals to ask about immigration status, and has forced employers to use a flawed verification system of documentation status. League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has also issued a travel advisory to those traveling to Florida. 

General Safety

• Florida has enacted SB 150 which allows concealed carry without a permit except where lawmakers meet. 
  
  Given these alarming realities, we urge AOTA to provide proactive and detailed information about the safety measures and resources that will be implemented during the conference. Without clear and concrete protections in place, we are unwilling to endorse traveling to a location that could present physical and legal danger to conference participants. 

Inspire 2024 presents an optimal time for AOTA to live up to its DEIJA commitment. We respectfully request that AOTA reaffirm its commitment to DEIJA by: (1) providing a detailed strategic plan for pursuing enactment of the below measures by August 1st, 2023; (2) providing a detailed implementation plan by October 1st, 2023; and (3)providing an updated detailed implementation plan by March 1st, 2024 to respond to any changes in any additional laws and policies that have been enacted prior to conference. AOTA should be clear and explicit in how these measures have been informed by direct and intimate consultation with trans, queer, and anti-oppression advocates as they are developed. 

Until these measures are addressed, COTAD is challenged to endorse our members, students, and leaders to attend Inspire 2024. We will actively discourage occupational therapy practitioners from attending the conference in Orlando for their own safety and in solidarity with Florida practitioners. We request that AOTA publicly reaffirms its commitment to protecting and supporting trans and gender expansive practitioners and clients, as well as its commitment to DEIJA by implementing the below measures:

SAFETY FOR TRANS AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE PEOPLE

• Gender-Neutral Facilities: Provide gender-neutral restrooms or ensure that existing facilities are inclusive and accessible for individuals of all gender identities. Clear signage and support from event staff can help make these spaces more welcoming. Ensure gender inclusive bathrooms are accessible and plentiful throughout the venue with safe options for individual use. Examine policies of the venue regarding bathroom use and ensure they are not in conflict with safe access. Develop and make accessible an action plan for emergency bathroom use of gender specific bathrooms.
• Safe Spaces: Designate specific areas or rooms as safe spaces for trans and gender expansive people. These spaces can provide a refuge for individuals who may need support or a break from potentially uncomfortable situations.
• Clear Policies and Guidelines: Develop and enforce comprehensive non-discrimination policies that explicitly protect trans and gender expansive people. Clearly communicate these policies to all conference participants, organizers, and staff members - particularly in visual ways throughout the venue.
• Security and Emergency Measures: Hire security personnel trained to address any potential harassment, discrimination, or violence against trans and gender expansive individuals. Develop an emergency response plan that includes protocols to address intimidation, hate speech, or discriminatory acts against trans or gender expansive people. This may include transportation to and from the venue in the case of an unsafe environment. Examine and address policies of the venue if a complaint were to be made regarding a person “using the wrong” bathroom (e.g. Will the police be called? How will AOTA protect trans or gender-expansive attendees safety in these instances?).
• Supportive Staff: Recruit event staff, including volunteers, who are knowledgeable about trans and gender expansive issues and can provide support and guidance when needed. They should be approachable, as well as visible throughout the venue.
• Training and Sensitization: Conduct training sessions to educate event organizers, staff, and volunteers about trans and gender expansive people, including terminology, challenges, and appropriate behaviors. This can help create an inclusive environment and ensure everyone understands the importance of respect and acceptance. Additionally, provide Upstander Training for allies in how to safely support trans and gender expansive people, on site and prior to the conference.
• Reporting Mechanisms: Establish clear reporting mechanisms for incidents of harassment, discrimination, or any other form of misconduct. Ensure that these mechanisms are easily accessible, confidential, and responsive to complaints. Make explicit these approaches. 

RESOURCE CURATION FOR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES

• Onsite Advocacy Support: Provide support to conference attendees who would like to engage legislators on policies directly impacting trans and gender-expansive practitioners and students through written advocacy efforts (e.g., AOTPAC setup a letter campaign writing center at their booth).
• Legal Counsel: Make available on site attorneys who can support trans and gender-expansive attendees who may be endangered by these laws.
• Elevate and Support LGBTQ and DEI-focused Organizations: Develop a list of LGBTQ- and DEI-friendly businesses and hotels in the area as options for safe and inclusive lodging for conference attendees.  

SAFETY FOR ANTI-OPPRESSION ADVOCATES

• Acknowledgement of the Work: Publicly acknowledge that OTPs of color, disabled OTPs, and queer OTPs are disproportionately represented in anti-oppression work that seeks to diversify our profession and create a more inclusive and equitable practice of occupational therapy.
• Positioning of DEI Experts: Examine policies and practices (e.g., which scholars are invited to speak on DEI topics as experts) around anti-oppression or DEI presentations and topics at the conference.
• Safety for DEI Speakers: Describe specific action plans to address the safety of OTPs who may experience hostility, discrimination, or violence because they are presenting, working on, or advocating for anti-oppression by outsiders or fellow participants in the conference.
• Elevate DEI Vendors: Foreground DEI companies and organizations by providing premium locations in the Expo Hall at free or discounted rates.
• Expectations and Consequences: Explicitly make expectations and consequences of harassment of LGBTQ people and DEI advocates known via visual boards and such throughout the venue.
• Enforcement of No Gun Policy: Describe how the Association will enforce the no/gun policy at the venue.

COMMUNICATING ACTION STEPS

• Make transparent how the Association plans to address the above noted requests to members of the occupational therapy community (paid members and otherwise) through accessible channels of communication. Recognizing that legislation may change between now and when the conference convenes, this communication should be ongoing with opportunity for adding to and amending all action steps.  

We welcome and encourage practitioners and organizations who are committed to a diverse and equitable occupational therapy profession to join us in this call for AOTA to hold a safe and inclusive Inspire 2024 conference in Florida. 

In solidarity,

The Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity Leadership Team