Legacy, Impact, Possibilities: How YOU Can Shape the Next Century
As we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), we honor a century of dedication to advancing communication and transforming lives. This milestone calls for reflection—as well as a renewed commitment to fostering a future where all are welcomed and valued within our professions and communities.
Below is a list of actionable steps to ensure that our progress continues—steps that collectively reinforce our shared values, amplify diverse voices, and pave the way for a more inclusive future. Together, we can build on ASHA’s incredible legacy and inspire the next 100 years of meaningful change.
- Listen to the ASHA Voices podcast.
- Get to know the Multicultural Constituency Groups by attending their events.
- Tune into a podcast or radio station that you’re not used to listening to.
- Learn about (and share) what’s on the minds of the next generation of CSD professionals from the NSSLHA Blog—the official blog of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.
- Practice a few phrases in a new language, or brush up on a language that you haven’t used in a while.
- Look through the NSSLHA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) resources (Stop the Silence Resources).
- Watch a show or listen to audio with a variety of speech patterns, pay attention to the speakers and think about what’s similar and different.
- Read a news article from a geographic region you're unfamiliar with; are the topics the same? Different?
- Try out the That’s Unheard Of modules and toolkit.
- Prepare for a wide range of clinical situations by exploring the Cultural Responsiveness series.
- Delve into the Cultural Competence Check-Ins.
- Try Varying Your Service Delivery to tailor your services and make a bigger impact.
- Consider the need for—and access to—Assistive Technology in Schools.
- Consider modifying your public speaking approach after watching the Conversations on Bias in Presentations series.
- Create opportunities for Interprofessional Education/Interprofessional Practice (IPE/IPP).
- Sign up for Take Action alerts and ASHA Headlines.
- Check in with your State Association to learn about their advocacy efforts.
- Learn about Disability Advocacy.
- Apply for a Grant on Multicultural Activities.
- Honor the Bill of Language Rights [PDF] in multilingual services.
- Learn more about Supporting and Working With Transgender and Gender-Diverse People.
- Become familiar with Social Determinants of Health.
- Inform colleagues about Communication Access and how it can improve public health.
- Stay informed about local legislation by checking out State Mandates Around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
- Gain insight into Gender-Affirming Voice Therapy Advocacy.
- Read ASHA’s Special Collection on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on ASHAWire.
- Explore the cultural and linguistic considerations on a Practice Portal page that is relevant to your work.
- Delve into the Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Evidence Map.
- Find resources on ASHA’s Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information Across Languages webpage.
- Review the Audiology Patient Education Handouts (part of the Audiology Information Series) in English and Spanish—and share them with your clients, patients, and students.
- Become familiar with resources about Trauma-Informed Care.
- Investigate an assessment approach to minimize bias with the Dynamic Assessment Micro Course.
- Get to know about Diverse Perspectives at Work: Infusing Inclusivity Into Coursework and Clinical Practice.
- Read about student rights in order to be responsive to their needs—and ensure appropriate access to services in IDEA Part B: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and IDEA Part C: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity.
- Do you have clients, patients, or students who live outside of your state or outside the United States? Read about Serving Clients in Other States and Countries Through Telepractice in a Private Practice.
- Discover what your colleagues are working on at Have You Heard.
- Self-identify as a multilingual service provider.
- Access and share Career Recruitment Tools.
- Attend an ASHA CEO Chat.
- Visit ASHA’s Academic and Research Mentoring (ARM) Network for options to support and advance your academic and research career.
- Submit a proposal to The ASHA Leader (magazine) or ASHA Voices (podcast) by visiting our Write for Us webpage.
- Participate in ASHA Community discussions.
- Learn about a new assessment method, and share one of your own with a colleague.
- Participate in the Research Symposium at the ASHA Convention.
- Participate in the National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) to demonstrate the effectiveness of your services and improve the quality of your care.
- Donate to the ASHFoundation’s Graduate Student Scholarship to support endowed scholarships such as the Minority Student Scholarship, the Student Disability Scholarship, and the International Student Scholarship.
- Share the Hearing and Speech Careers website with someone who is seeking a career or considering a new career.
- Share your own initiative at Have You Heard.
- Offer to do a presentation at your local middle and/or high school to introduce CSD careers to students.
- Reach out to your employer or a local CSD program to express interest in clinical supervision.
- Check out ASHA’s volunteer opportunities.
- Hone your pedagogy skills with ASHAWire’s Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Special Collection.
