Physiopedia recently joined the global physiotherapy community at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) 2026 to present research on bridging the rehabilitation workforce gap through the International Rehabilitation Education and Training Toolkit (IRETT). These presentations highlighted how curriculum mapping and reflective tools are currently being used to standardise entry-level education and build sustainable leadership in low- and middle-income countries.
Returning from the vibrant atmosphere of Anaheim, California, our team is energised by the connections made and the research shared at one of the world’s largest gatherings of rehabilitation professionals. As a charity-led organisation, Physiopedia remains committed to providing trustworthy, free and community-managed resources to the largest rehab audience in the world. This mission is something we were excited to talk about during CSM where we shared several new studies focused on one of the most pressing challenges in global health: the fact that only 3% of individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) who need rehabilitation can currently access it. To address this, we must tackle the severe workforce shortages, which often leave fewer than 10 rehabilitation professionals per million people in many regions. Here we share details of how we’ve been working to address this as as team through the research we discussed during CSM.
Shala Cunningham’s platform session explained the team’s work on global curriculum mapping, the cornerstone of our work. This involved analysing 64 programs across 37 countries to identify common coursework among physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy and prosthetics and orthotics programs. By using the WHO Rehabilitation Competency Framework, the research identified significant overlaps in foundational subjects like anatomy, physiology and research methods. However, it also uncovered critical gaps in areas such as leadership development and interprofessional practice. This mapping provides a vital blueprint for creating universally accessible, multidisciplinary training resources that reduce duplication and help resource-limited countries establish high-quality education programs more efficiently. You can view Shala’s presentation from CSM here.
Building on this foundational curriculum mapping, Rachael Lowe presented on building workforce capacity and developing leaders through the International Rehabilitation Education and Training Toolkit (IRETT). The IRETT is not just a collection of documents; it is a suite of reflective tools created to practically guide the implementation of activities using the Plan-Do-Assess-Adjust process. These tools are designed to help stakeholders identify challenges and gaps in their specific settings and develop prioritised action plans. Rachael shared the success of this approach in Pakistan, Ukraine and Uganda, where local leaders are using these frameworks to own their development. The model of pairing international expertise with local ownership has ensured that changes in education and regulation are both real and sustainable. View Rachael’s presentation from CSM here.
The practical application of these tools was further detailed in poster sessions during the conference. Larisa Hoffman shared about enhancing physical therapy education in Ukraine with her poster Enhancing Physical Therapy Education in Ukraine: Utilizing the Academic Program Reflection Tool. Despite the immense challenges facing the country, the Academic Program Reflection Tool (APRT) has been used to review multiple academic programs, helping faculty move beyond prescriptive solutions toward a reflective model that improves program integrity and student outcomes.
Cheryl Footer’s poster presentation Towards Strengthening Entry-Level Rehabilitation: The Development and Implementation of the Academic Program Reflection Tool emphasised the development and implementation of the APRT as a global strategy for strengthening entry-level rehabilitation. These poster sessions shared how when we empower educators with the right tools, they can transform the vision for education in their entire region.
Our time at CSM 2026 underscored that while the global need for rehabilitation is vast, the solution lies in collaboration and the sharing of open-access, high-quality information. We encourage our community to explore the IRETT website to see how these tools can be applied in your own setting, whether in academia, professional associations or clinical management. By working together and utilising shared frameworks, we can ensure that the physiotherapy community continues to lead the way in health system strengthening. We are immensely proud of our team and the global partners who continue to prove that through mentorship and collective action, we can make rehabilitation accessible to all.
The research shared at CSM 2026 demonstrates that the IRETT provides a proven, reflective framework for closing global education gaps and fostering sustainable leadership within the rehabilitation workforce. By adopting these collaborative tools, the international community can move closer to the goal of universal access to essential rehabilitation services.
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