Addressing Systemic Racism and Institutional Inequities in CSD

ASHA’s Board of Directors approved the Response to Racism position statement in June 2020:

ASHA explicitly condemns systemic racism and oppression, and the violent acts that took the lives most recently of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd—and so many before them. We support our Black audiologists, speech-language pathologists, related professionals, and students, as well as Black clients/patients/students and their families. We stand with these individuals in supporting their communities, protecting their families, and fighting for their children’s opportunities. We stand with our members who are distressed, saddened, angry, and calling for change. Read more.

ASHA has had a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion as an association, for our membership, and for the individuals who make up the ASHA national office staff.

Theresa Rodgers, ASHA's Immediate Past President, provided an update on ASHA's plans and progress in addressing systemic racism in the communications sciences and disorders professions in September 2020.

February 2021

• The Student to Empowered Professional (S.T.E.P.) Mentoring Program, a virtual mentoring program developed for under-represented populations of students pursuing a career in audiology or speech-language pathology, is open for mentor and mentee enrollment through February 28. Visit S.T.E.P. Mentoring Program to learn more and enroll.
• The Grant Program for Projects on Multicultural Activities is now accepting applications for funding. ASHA recognizes the importance of acknowledging and appropriately responding to cultural and linguistic influences across the discipline. This grant program provides support for projects that infuse multiculturalism into our clinical, educational, and professional programs; and the activities of allied/related associations and organizations. Proposals must include one or more of the following dimensions of diversity: age, disability, ethnicity, gender expressions/gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
• The CFCC supports ASHA’s efforts to increase cultural competency and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in our professions, and is proposing to add DEI professional development hours to certification maintenance requirements. Peer reviews were fielded for audiology and speech-language pathology standards.

January 2021

ASHA Professional Development is now offering a Taking Action Against Microaggressions course series about recognizing, experiencing, witnessing, and combatting microaggressions. The course content is available for free on the Office of Multicultural Affairs website. ASHA members who want to earn CE credit may do so by subscribing to the ASHA Learning Pass.

November 2020

• ASHA launched the SIGnature Series, which includes webinars on disrupting racial bias, supporting marginalized CSD students, and the role of diversity and bias in supervision as well as several on culturally responsive service provision and practice.
• Prohibitions Against Discrimination Under ASHA’s Code of Ethics and Enforcement by the Board of Ethics was posted. This document reviews the processes for filing a discrimination claim with ASHA’s Board of Ethics. Filing a discrimination claim with the Board of Ethics may be a helpful and necessary course of action when issues of diversity, equity, or inclusion have been undermined or violated.
• ASHA Professional Development is developing a series of 30-minute micro courses to help members recognize microaggressions, support those who have experienced them, and take action to combat microaggressions, with a target launch date in January 2021.

October 2020

• The Minority Student Leadership Program (MSLP) hosted two virtual events, Student Leadership for a New Day and Level Up Your Leadership.
• CAA and CFCC are identifying priority areas for addressing barriers and systemic issues that need to be changed.
• ASHA is re-launching the That’s Unheard Of campaign (paused due to COVID-19).
• ASHA was a signatory on a multi-society letter to reinstitute DEI training for federal employees [PDF].

September 2020

• ASHA is expanding our existing Strategic Objective on increasing the diversity of the membership to Increase Diversity/Equity/Inclusion (DEI) within the Association and the discipline.
• ASHA is developing a microlearning opportunity on microaggressions.
• ASHA’s Board of Ethics began working on a resource related to the Code of Ethics’ prohibitions of discrimination.

July/August 2020

• ASHA held online listening sessions.
• ASHA Board of Directors (BOD) and Facilitating Team were trained in implicit bias.
• BOD approved the ASHA Envisioned Future 2025.

ASHA will be working with federal lawmakers and policymakers to pursue legislative or regulatory opportunities that address the goals of H.R. 3637, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2019.