Elizabeth Casson... Who was she?

On the University’s Severn Campus, the buildings are full of people learning how to make a difference in the world of health and wellbeing, the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health professionals of the future.

Next to the striking gold Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building is the more understated Elizabeth Casson Building. Light and airy, it’s equipped with specialist facilities to train students in Paramedic Sciences, preparing them to respond to the emergencies of tomorrow.

But the building itself takes its name from a woman who didn’t just join the medical profession; in many ways she transformed it.

Elizabeth Casson was a medical doctor and pioneer of Occupational Therapy in the UK, a profession which breaks down barriers and empowers people to live more independent, fulfilling lives.

Occupational Therapy supports people of all ages to overcome physical, developmental, emotional or social challenges, helping them take part in daily, meaningful activities, or ‘occupations’.

Born in 1881, Elizabeth Casson was the first woman to get a Medical Degree from the University of Bristol.

She originally specialised in psychiatry and became convinced that purposeful activity played a vital role in recovery. After travelling to the States, where she first saw the benefits of occupational therapy first-hand, she returned to the UK and founded Dorset House in Bristol, where in 1930 she established the first School of Occupational Therapy in the UK.

Her legacy continues today, through the Elizabeth Casson Trust, which supports education, research and professional development in the field of occupational therapy.

The University of Worcester graduates between 50 and 60 occupational therapists every year from undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and they go on to enable people to live their best lives at home, school, or work, by adapting tasks and environments, and by developing their skills.

Before it was acquired by the University of Worcester in 2008, the building belonged to Herefordshire and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service and was where their vehicles would be serviced and repaired. When it first came into University ownership, the building became known as The Garage and was used by art students who valued its open, light-filled space.

The later acquisition of what is now the Art House on Castle Street created the opportunity to reimagine what the Elizabeth Casson building could be; today it’s a hub of education and hands-on training. It’s also home to the University’s Simulation Suite.

Here, advanced technology allows teaching spaces to be transformed into realistic emergency scenarios. Projectors and sound systems recreate the scene of a road traffic collision, or major public incident while a sensory module can even introduce specific smells associated with different situations, preparing students for the realities they may one day face.

Read more about Elizabeth Casson on the Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ website.