Limb Difference Awareness Month

Written by our occupational therapist, Sarah Cranston on the 28th of April, 2025

What is Limb Difference?

A limb difference means a person has an arm, hand, leg, or foot that looks, feels, or moves differently than what is typically expected.

This can include:

• Being born without part or all of a limb (congenital limb difference)

• Changes from surgery, injury, or medical conditions later in life (acquired limb difference)

Limb differences can look many different ways, and they’re not something that needs to be "fixed”,  they are just another way bodies exist in the world.

What is Limb Difference Awareness Month?

April is Limb Difference Awareness Month. This is a time to amplify the voices of people living with limb differences, challenge outdated narratives around disability, and highlight the beauty of diverse bodies and experiences.

As someone with a limb difference, and an Occupational Therapist, I know firsthand the importance of seeing people as experts in their own lives and supporting them to understand themselves and their needs.

How can OT help?

OT focuses on empowering people to do the things they want and need to do in their life, and figuring out and collaborating to adapt their environment and tasks that suit the individuals needs. 

An OT may be able to support:

• Access tools and adaptions such as prosthetics, vehicle modifications, adaptive equipment

• Exploring ways to engage in leisure, and life activities (whatever is important to the person). This may include tying shoelaces, modifying hobbies, and exploring assistive technology.

• Advocacy in creating inclusive modifications and design to environments such as home, work or community spaces.

• Supporting self-advocacy, confidence, self-exploration and mental health support 

How has it impacted me as an OT?

Having an OT when I was younger is what led me to become an OT today! I have a congenital limb difference, I have no arm past my left elbow. There is no reason for this difference, my body just didn't fully develop in the womb.  I work and interact with a range of children and adults who have noticed my visible disability and that have lots of questions and thoughts. Generally in life, people are curious and I am often explaining or educating others why I may look a certain way or do things differently. I also reassure people that it is okay to look different and that it does not minimize my ability to do anything in life, it is just different.

Having an OT helped to support and encourage me to try new activities or tasks, or to have someone that can support me in finding creative or new ways to do tasks has truly helped me to build my confidence. Having an OT helped me to develop perseverance when doing hard or new things. It has also allowed me to have a unique ability to understand unspoken challenges that a client may face, and understand challenges that may arise such as internalised and externalised ableism. 

Limb Difference intersects with Neurodiversity

At Neuroinclusion, we help to understand and empower those with invisible disabilities or differences, however we recognise the importance of acknowledging the intersectionality and understanding the challenges with physical disabilities and differences. We are always learning and growing to pave the way for how to accept and celebrate disability and diversity.