Roots of Occupational Therapy in Vocational Rehabilitation: Lessons from Jessie Luther

Earlier this year I found myself in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, standing in the Grenfell House Museum. The rooms are filled with stories of resourcefulness and resilience, and one in particular stood out to me — the story of Jessie Luther.

Jessie Luther was trained at the Rhode Island School of Design and, in the early 1900s, travelled north at the invitation of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary who had founded the Grenfell Mission. Dr. Grenfell was known for bringing health care, education, and community development to remote coastal areas of Newfoundland and Labrador, and he recognized something special in Luther’s work. She had been teaching convalescent patients weaving and crafts — activities that brought both healing and dignity. The displays in the museum called Luther an Occupational Therapist!

Jessie Luther: Artist, Teacher, Pioneer

When she arrived in Newfoundland, Luther introduced weaving, spinning, and craftwork not just as a pastime but as a way for families to support themselves. What became known as The Industrial (later Grenfell Handicrafts) gave people who were ill, disabled, or marginalized a way to earn an income, find purpose, and stay connected to their communities.

As one display at the museum noted:

“Handicrafts were an integral part of the life and economic uplift of hundreds, by providing work to… the incapacitated who could not otherwise have been able to supplement their income.” – Rachel Brown, Grenfell House Museum exhibit

For Luther, this work was never simply about “keeping busy.” It was about health, dignity, and participation in community life — values that still resonate deeply in occupational therapy today.

Threads That Connect Past and Present

Walking through that museum, I was struck by how naturally her story connects with the work occupational therapists do now. The weaving looms of 1906 may look very different from today’s assessment tools and treatment approaches, but the purpose is remarkably similar: helping people rebuild their lives through meaningful activity.

Today, occupational therapists might be found teaching energy-conservation techniques to someone living with chronic pain, setting up workplace accommodations for a safe return to work, or guiding someone through a transferable skills analysis to explore new vocational options. These are modern versions of the same philosophy Jessie Luther lived by — that occupation, whether it is weaving a mat or learning a new role, can restore both health and livelihood.

Stories like Jessie Luther’s remind us that vocational rehabilitation is not a new direction for OT — it has always been part of our foundations. The settings, tools, and language may have evolved, but the heart of the work is unchanged: enabling people to participate in life and work with purpose.

And perhaps that is the most important thread of all — that meaningful occupation, in all its forms, is what helps individuals and communities not just survive, but thrive.

Question for reflection: How do you see the role of occupational therapy evolving in your region or field to support return-to-work or vocational rehabilitation more effectively?

Images from: O’Neill, Jenny. Jessie Luther: Artist, Teacher, Pioneer. Westport Historical Society, 9 February 2022. Available at: “Jessie Luther: Artist, Teacher, Pioneer.” Westport Historical Society website, https://wpthistory.org/2022/02/jessie-luther-artist-teacher-pioneer/ Westport Historical Society