J.F. Walker Review
Driving change in healthcare: Healthcare professionals talk equity, diversity, and inclusion
Written by: Hillary Ganek
Even in these unprecedented times, some traditions must be carried on. In June 2021, this meant that the annual J.F. Walker Lecture, sponsored by the Donalda Jean McGeachy Memorial Lecture Series, got underway. Although we were forced to relinquish our beautiful in-person UofT campus venue along with our usual hot breakfast, students, faculty, alumni, and clinicians were still able to come together on Zoom and mark a tremendous day of learning.
The workshop, entitled, “Driving change in healthcare: Healthcare professionals talk equity, diversity, and inclusion,” featured three guest speakers, including alumni Andrea Benjamin Coke and Jaspal “Pauly” Brar (pictured here) as well as Dr. Stephanie Nixon, Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UofT. Stephanie Nixon was the former director of the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) here at UofT, and has recently been named the new Vice Dean of Health Sciences and Director of the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University starting July 1st. Together, these speakers presented their unique perspectives on integrating equity and diversity into the practice of speech-language pathology (SLP).
In the United States, ASHA reports that SLP is dominated by white women. Although Canadian SLP organizations have yet to make their demographics public, the numbers are likely similar. Given the diversity of people with communication disorders, especially within a province like Ontario where three in ten people represent a visible minority, it is concerning that the majority of clinicians are unlikely to be familiar with the language socialization practices of the families with whom they work. This could potentially lead to a breakdown in the intervention process. The lack of diversity within the field may also impact the ways in which we train student clinicians and treat our colleagues.
Andrea Benjamin Coke spoke about viewing our interactions, policies, and resources through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion when working with children. She specifically discussed the importance of ensuring our intervention materials reflect the populations with whom we work. Ms. Coke herself has written a series of inclusive children’s books which is an example of how SLPs can support this initiative. You can learn more about her books at abcbooknook.com. Pauly Brar next spoke about her personal experience working as an SLP of colour in Ontario. She discussed how to overcome the barriers that occur when SLPs work with people from cultures that differ from their own, the benefits of receiving services from a clinician with the same cultural background, and the importance of seeing and interacting with SLPs of colour during clinical training. The event closed with Dr. Nixon presenting her ‘coin model,’ which emphasizes the relationship between privilege and oppression within rehabilitation services. You can learn more about the model in her 2019 article published in BMC Public Health.
Image by Pauly Brar
The three speakers each brought a unique perspective to addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion within the field of SLP. The presentations yielded rich discussion and left all who attended with much to consider about how they interact with clients and colleagues and how we can all work towards improving communication and swallowing services.