This topic is related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and power relations within speech, language and hearing sciences. The special focus is on addressing systemic disparities, marginalization, and the needs of under-served communities. Proposals should indicate how culture, language/language variations, and other sociocultural factors (such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, national origin, immigration status, gender, sexuality, religion and dis/ability) affect: 1) research, education/curricular development, professional practice, recruitment/retention, and policy development and implementation; 2) the lives of those impacted by our education, research, professional practice and policy development; 3) assessment and intervention processes and outcomes; and 4) relationship to research participants. Education, practice and/or research that addresses the implementation of interprofessional competencies specific to equity, inclusion, and cultural and linguistic diversity should also be included in this topic area.

Teaching, Research, Clinical Practice and Professional Education

• Impact of cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors on prevention, assessment, intervention, education, research and other service delivery issues in speech, language and hearing sciences
• Impact of systemic racism, exclusion, unequal power relations, and oppression on prevention, assessment intervention, education, research and other service delivery issues in speech, language, and hearing sciences
• Impact of impoverishment (caused by power inequities among/between groups of people) on prevention, assessment, intervention, education, research and other service delivery issues in speech, language, and hearing sciences
• Impact of ability and its intersection with systemic forms of exclusion, and interaction with socio-cultural factors on prevention, assessment, intervention, education, research and other service delivery issues in speech, language, and hearing sciences
• Developmental differences and similarities across cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic contexts
• Cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors affecting functional communication outcomes across the lifespan
• Considerations for responding to the unique cultural, linguistic and social characteristics of families, including families with internationally adopted children, families seeking resettlement and asylum, transnational families, and migrant families
• Considerations for affirming clients’/participants’ gender identity and gender expression; and identification of frameworks and approaches for challenging heteronormativity in service delivery to those who identify as LGBTQIA+
• Recruitment, retention, graduation, leadership development, mentorship, and career placement of students whose communities are underrepresented in and underserved by our professions
• Recruitment, retention, professional development, leadership development, mentorship, and career support of faculty and practitioners whose communities are underrepresented in and underserved by our professions
• The development and maintenance of critical thinking, cultural humility, cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, and cultural reciprocity in order to provide responsive services and engage in culturally responsive research
• Administrative and policy issues affecting diversity, equity and inclusion in speech, language and hearing sciences
• Working with cultural mediators, interpreters and translators across disciplines in clinical practice, education and research
• Considerations for the provision of ethical services to all populations with self-awareness of one’s own cultural/linguistic background and life experiences and that of the client/student/participant
• Issues of development and access to technologies that are culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate and affordable
• Interprofessional education, practice, and research as they relate to cultural/linguistic diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Transnational and international Issues that affect and/or address the research or practice of clinicians, educators, and scholars based in the U.S.

Related Topics

Proposals involving Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, and people who speak more than one language, and language variations other than White American English, but with a primary focus on the following should go to the noted topic area:

• Proposals focusing on development, developmental disabilities, and communication outcomes for infants through preschoolers should be submitted to the Language in Infants through Preschoolers.
• Proposals focusing on development, developmental disabilities, and communication outcomes for school age children should be submitted to Spoken Language and Learning in School-Age Individuals.
• Proposals focused on clinical practice, education, research in an international context should be submitted to Global Issues and Practices.

Proposals addressing issues related to underrepresented populations in the field but that do not address the sociocultural contexts and power dynamics affecting those populations may be better suited for other topic areas. For example:

• Proposals addressing the science and implementation of accent modification that do not address the power differential between language varieties should be submitted to Speech and Language Science.
• Proposals related to increasing the representation of men in the professions that do not address male privilege and gender inequities that affect feminized professions should be submitted to Leadership and Professional Issues.