Occupational apartheid is the concept inoccupational therapy that different individuals, groups and communities can be deprived of meaningful and purposeful activity through segregation due to social, political, economical factors and for social status reasons.

Occupationalapartheid may occur due torace, disability, age,gender, sexuality,religious preference, political preference, and creed. A war environment can also contribute to occupationalapartheid in which the constraints of war prevent the people living in the midst of combat from accessing past occupations.^[1] Occupational therapists recognize that many people facing occupational apartheid do not have the opportunity to freely choose their occupations, and thus are disadvantaged.^[2] The health and wellbeing of these individuals, groups and communities is compromised through the deprivation of meaningful and purposeful activities.

In the light of day to day existence, every individual should be of equal status, no matter what their economic, political, health or social status. Occupational apartheid explains the reality that some people may be occupationally more equal than others.^[3][4]

• Homeless adults
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
• Refugee and asylum seekers
• Individuals with disabilities
• Religious groups
• Street children
• Survivors ofdomestic violence
• Women
• Incarcerated people
• Indigenous People
• Racial Minorities
• Theworking poor
• Freeters

• Occupational injustice

• Occupational therapy
• Social inequality