Confirming our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Justice

Our mission at the ASHA Hispanic Caucus is “To address issues of diversity facing our field and to continue to increase the number of resources, research, and Spanish-speaking professionals in our field”. Our mission has been rooted in the cause of providing representation and advocacy to all.

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEIA) in speech-language pathology is about ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, have access to high-quality services that meet their needs. It means recognizing and valuing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the clients we serve, using equitable assessment and intervention approaches rather than a one-size-fits-all model. DEIA is about increasing representation in our profession, supporting students and clinicians from diverse backgrounds, and advocating for policies that address disparities in service delivery. It requires an ongoing commitment to professional development in cultural and linguistic humility and responsiveness, as well as meaningful collaboration with communities to better understand and integrate their perspectives into our work.

  • Despite its importance, DEIA is often misunderstood. It is not about lowering standards but ensuring that our assessments and interventions are fair and valid for all populations. DEIA is not a political agenda. It is a professional and ethical obligation to provide equitable access to high-quality services. DEIA does not call for eliminating standardized assessments but instead emphasizes the need to adapt and supplement them to better serve diverse populations. It does not exclude any group but seeks to expand opportunities for all. It does not replace evidence-based practice with personal opinions but instead strengthens it by integrating cultural and linguistic considerations. Above all, DEIA is not a passing trend. It is a fundamental and ongoing commitment to improving how we serve others in this field.

Termination of Federal Grants

The recent executive orders and actions from the current administration to terminate federal grants have had a profound impact on research funding within Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate programs. These cuts disproportionately affect research aimed at addressing health disparities, language access, and culturally responsive interventions—critical areas that directly impact the training of future clinicians and the communities they serve. Without this funding, CSD programs face significant barriers in advancing evidence-based practices that support multilingual individuals, individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds, and those with communication and swallowing disorders who require culturally and linguistically appropriate care. The termination of federal grants not only threatens the progress of inclusive clinical practices but also undermines the broader mission of fostering a diverse and competent workforce that can meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population.


The Need for DEIA in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Need for DEIA in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Advancing DEIA in these fields is not just a professional responsibility but a societal necessity. By addressing demographic disparities, offering culturally responsive services, and supporting initiatives that foster diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility within the profession, we can improve the quality of care and ensure that all individuals have access to skilled and compassionate services.

This disparity highlights the critical need for targeted efforts to attract and retain diverse professionals. Embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIAA) is essential for delivering culturally responsive care and creating a professional environment that reflects the diversity of the communities served. In clinical practice, understanding and incorporating cultural and linguistic diversity is key, as factors such as age, disability, language/dialect, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status influence how people communicate and perceive one another. By engaging in humility and being mindful of these factors, professionals can ensure that their assessments and treatments are not only effective but also culturally relevant and tailored to each client’s unique background.

As of the most recent member and affiliate profile, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) reported over 229,737 CSD professionals. However, only about 9.8% of these members self-identify as racially minoritized groups, and 7.3% identify as Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, or of Spanish origin. In contrast, the U.S. Census Bureau (2020) indicates that 38.4% of the U.S. population self-identifies as racially minoritized groups, with 18.7% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. 

Impact on Clients We Serve

Speech-Language pathologists serve diverse populations and often rely on DEIA principles to guide their understanding of the factors that affect all aspects of a single patient/client. Without DEIA training or guidelines, there will be a lack of understanding about how language development, cultural norms and communication styles vary across different populations. This will lead to clients/patients not receiving accurate assessments, diagnosis or interventions because their cultural and linguistic principles are not accurately being recognized. DEIA initiatives have assisted with promoting equitable access to services for all clients/patients including those from marginalized communities. Without these initiatives and policies, these groups may face barriers to receiving culturally relevant care that will continue to contribute to health and educational disparities. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Hispanic Caucus continue to emphasize the importance of cultural humility and responsive practices as part of ethical practice. The removal of DEIA principles could undermine ethical standards.

  • Eliminating DEIA initiatives for SLPs will negatively affect the quality and equity of services provided, leading to misdiagnosis, cultural misunderstandings, and a lack of access to high-quality services/therapy.

  • It would also contribute to professional and ethical challenges within the field.

  • Integrating DEIA principles is crucial for ensuring that all clients, regardless of their background, receive high-quality, culturally relevant, and effective speech-language services

The Hispanic Caucus remains deeply committed in our support for our community, which is diverse in terms of racial and ethnic background, language/dialect, (dis)ability, religion, gender and sexual orientation, viewpoint, and much more. That diversity is important to our scholarship, and it’s important to who we are.  It is the position of the Hispanic Caucus that we remain steadfast in ensuring that the future generation of CSD professionals have equitable access to high-quality education and resources and that the communities we serve have equitable access to high-quality services. The Hispanic Caucus is committed to our vision and mission of supporting efforts that promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility.