Name
Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationAbout
Location
IllinoisOrganization/Facility
State AssociationWebsite
https://www.ishail.org/ISHA Campaign to Support Diversity in the Professions
Initiative Categories
Focus Areas
- Age Equity
- Cultural Responsiveness
- Dialect
- Disability
- Gender
- Health Equity
- Hiring Practices
- Language access/inclusion
- LGBTQIA+
- Mentoring
- Multilingualism
- Neurodiversity
- Race/ethnicity
- Religion/Faith based practice/spirituality
- Size inclusion
Summary
The people of Illinois reflect a rich blend of cultures and languages. The state name, Illinois, derived from the Miami-Illinois tribal name "Illiniwek," meaning "the people" (Native Languages of the Americas, 2020). The ideal community of speech-language pathologists and audiologists will mirror the diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, languages, genders, and identities of Illinois' population. Representation matters. In healthcare, a diverse workforce enhances patient care and supports better health outcomes (Gomez & Bernet, 2019). In the workplace, diversity and inclusion foster innovation, effective problem-solving, engagement, and job satisfaction, all contributing to improved performance and outcomes (Brimhall & Mor Barak, 2018). In education, student success is often higher when there is alignment between the backgrounds of educators and students (Ogbu, 1992; Goldhaber et al., 2015). In 2022, the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ISHA) Multicultural Topics Committee (MTC) launched its ISHA Campaign to Support Diversity in the Professions. Read more about this campaign: Support Diversity with the CSD Professions and the February 2022 issue of The ISHA Voice.
For More Information
See the Support Diversity with the CSD Professions or contact Brenda Gorman at brenda.gorman@elmhurst.edu.
This initiative was submitted on November 15, 2024.