Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's SLP-CDIAR (Cultural Diversity Inclusion and Anti-Racism) Task Force

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Summary

The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's SLP Cultural Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (CDIAR) Task Force was formed in 2020 by a cohort of SLPs who embarked on a collaborative endeavor to improve cultural humility at an urban, multi-level rehabilitation hospital.​ We aim to support and foster measurable, evidence-based cultural diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism efforts for SLPs to achieve the best outcomes for patients from historically marginalized groups.​ Each year, we listen, learn, and further hone our collective efforts. Our current task force of 13 members meets monthly and communicates outside of meetings and collaborates at in-person events.

Some hallmark and ongoing achievements of SLP-CDIAR include:

• Creating and disseminating quarterly newsletters including topics related to DEI (i.e., Gender & Sexuality, Social Determinants of Health, Shared Decision-Making, Inclusive Communication, Neurodiversity, and Health Literacy) to SLPs/OTs/PTs within the organization
• Planning and participating in an annual retreat, where we engage in discussion from independent readings and research related to our efforts, as well as determine and align our goals for the year
• Engaging with our community through volunteering events that reflect the values of accessibility, empowerment, and inclusivity
• Hosting speakers within our monthly meetings, from interdisciplinary members within the organization to NSSHLA representatives

Some past achievements of SLP-CDIAR include:

• Co-hosted 2022 Better Hearing and Speech Month in-service at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for SLPs to advocate for screenings of health literacy, patient advocacy tools, and teach-back tips​
• Presented at the ASHA National Convention in 2022, with a poster entitled "Evolution and Initial Outcomes of the SLP Cultural Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (CDIAR) Taskforce"

CDIAR's goals for 2024 include the following:

1. Pursue and foster collaboration opportunities with interdisciplinary colleagues to promote equitable patient access to care and services.
2. Engage with colleagues in the internal educational department to examine and support the integration of DEI considerations into mentorship training (e.g., for new hire employees and students).
3. Continue to engage in at least 2 community outreach activities to build relationships with community members, particularly those in historically underrepresented groups, and promote awareness of the SLP profession among school-aged individuals as a strategy to increase provider diversity in our field.

We are always looking to learn about the DEI efforts of other groups in other organizations to use as a model for continuing to expand and diversify our goals and achievements at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab!

For More Information

See the SLP-CDIAR April 2023 newsletter [PDF] or contact Caroline Hague at carolinehague@sralab.org.

This initiative was submitted on July 17, 2024.