Ethnic and racial disparities within the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology have been well documented. Demographic data from the most recent ASHA survey revealed that 6.1% of ASHA members identify as Hispanic or Latino and 8.5% as “racial minorities.” These numbers are significantly below those of the overall U.S. population—16.3% and 27.6%, respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The articles in this collection present models for increasing equity and inclusion across our discipline. Girolamo and Ghali introduce a student-led grassroots initiative that supports minority students at all levels. Mohapatra and Mohan propose a model for increasing student diversity and inclusion based on successful programs from other health-related disciplines. Finally, Mishra et al. examined three challenges that faculty of color face: cultural competency, imposter syndrome, and racial microaggressions.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• describe three initiatives that support minority students in CSD
• list strategies for increasing recruitment and retention of diverse students in academia
• summarize challenges faced by faculty of color

Articles in This Course

1. Developing, Implementing, and Learning From a Student-Led Initiative to Support Minority Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders by Teresa M. Girolamo and Samantha Ghali, published in SIG 10, Volume 6, Issue 4, August 20, 2021
2. A Proposed Framework for Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Communication Sciences and Disorders Academic Programs: The REAP Model by Bijoyaa Mohapatra and Ranjini Mohan, published in SIG 10, Volume 6, Issue 4, August 20, 2021
3. Faculty of Color in Communication Sciences and Disorders: An Overdue Conversation by Avinash Mishra, Giselle Núñez, and Cara E. Tyson, published in SIG 10, Volume 6, Issue 4, August 20, 2021

DEI Professional Development Requirement

This course counts toward the ASHA certification maintenance professional development requirement for DEI (which encompasses cultural competency; cultural humility; culturally responsive practice; and diversity, equity, and inclusion). See more courses that count toward this requirement or read more about professional development requirements for certification maintenance.

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.