The Investment in and Commitment to Diversifying Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

SLP

Have you heard questions or participated in discussions such as:
“Why don’t we have more men in the field?”
“Wow, Black men in the profession of speech pathology and audiology, they’re unicorns!”
“We need clinicians and practitioners that match the demographics of the populations being served in our work settings.”

If so, you would be among a number of individuals who have looked around and wondered, why do we not have a diverse group of professionals working in the speech-language-hearing sciences (SLHS). There are a number of reasons why this is a phenomenon. One of the many concerns related to diversity in SLHS is the fact that the number of Black professionals has been slow in growth and it does not represent the demographics of our global society. Based on information reported by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association in 2021 related to membership, of the 193,000 respondents, 8.7% identify as people of color, 3.6% identify as Black. In a profession that is approximately 96% female, 3.7% identify as men (of all races). From that information, we can extrapolate that less than 1% of that group would identify as a Black man. There is a continued need to discuss how we can invest in the commitment to diversify the profession, provide equitable actions and access to ensure recruitment and retention efforts are successful. How do we go about expounding on the racialized biases, identifying barriers that prevent access and inclusion, and overcoming the inequitable actions that disable the diversification of speech-language-hearing sciences?

This session will offer ideas, suggestions, strategies, and engage you in a thoughtful discussion on what must be done to create a profession that is welcoming and supportive of varied perspectives, genders, ethnicities, and races.

Presenters

Jerrold Jackson
M.A., CCC-SLP
Jerrold Jackson is CEO of the Roundtree Group, PLLC, a consultant, and an advocate for culturally responsive practices. He supports the future of SLHS as an adjunct professor at three institutions. His active professional volunteer work with ASHA, NBASLH (Board of Directors), and the Praxis NAC for SLP have led to many advancements in SLHS. Jerrold is the SLP Co-Chair for the 2024 ASHA Convention.
Julien Frazier
M.A., CCC-SLP
Mr. Julien Frazier, Ed.S., M.A., CCC-SLP is a lifelong educator and current Director of Student Services for Van Buren Public Schools in Wayne County, MI. His experiences range from Director of Special education, Special Education Supervisor, Cohort Supervisor, Interim Principal, Consultant, Coordinator, special education provider and clinical speech-language pathologist throughout various job settings. As a member of the greatest and most valued working profession of our time, Frazier has made an unwavering commitment to facilitate learning and improve student achievement within the educational environment. As an educator and advocate for students with specific and unique needs, Frazier’s vast experiences and longevity in special education, and the field of speech-language pathology, have seamlessly improved language development, academic experiences, discipline measures, compliance standards, and the full gamut of educational obligations for students in traditional and non-traditional school settings. Currently, Frazier is a candidate for a Doctor of Philosophy in the Educational Policy & Leadership Studies program at Wayne State University. Frazier holds an Education Specialist degree from Wayne State University, a Masters degree in the field of Speech-Language Pathology from Western Michigan University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Wayne State University.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the significance of diversity, equity, inclusion, access and justice in speech-language hearing sciences
Explore and illuminate barriers that may have prevented people from diverse cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds from entering the speech-language-hearing sciences
Develop strategies for the recruitment and retention of people of color (especially Black men) into the speech-language-hearing sciences
Identify areas for further exploration to increase the presence of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse professionals in speech-language hearing

Agenda

5 minutes	Introductions and Overview
10 minutes	History, Context, Testimonials
10 minutes	The Significance of Equity, Access, Inclusion
20 minutes	Strategies for Transformation, Plan of Action
10 minutes	Implications, Further Discussion and Exploration
5 minutes	Commitment to Investment

Disclosures

Speakers - Financial	Julien Frazier is receiving compensation for this course. Jerrold Jackson is receiving compensation for this course.
Speakers - Nonfinancial	Julien Frazier has no non-financial relationships to disclose. Jerrold Jackson has no non-financial relationships to disclose.
Course - Content	Julien Frazier has no additional content information to disclose. Jerrold Jackson has no additional content information to disclose.
Course - Financial Support & In Kind	This course is being sponsored by Having Our Say and SLP Toolkit.

ASHA

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs, Introductory Level, Professional Area