The American-Speech-Language and Hearing (ASHA) association is the certifying authority for speech-language pathologists (SLP) in the United States. Given the diverse population of the United States, it is important to have a representative workforce in order to improve patient care and connect with the community.
For example, 14.2% of individuals in the United States identify as Black or African American (Moslimani et al., 2023). However, only 2.5% of ASHA certified SLP's identify as Black or African American (ASHA, 2022).
Here are ASHA's number by race.
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.30%
Asian 3.10%
Black or African American 3.70%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 0.20%
White 91.20%
Multiracial1.50%
There has been a big push in recent years by ASHA, institutions of higher education, and employers to have a more diverse SLP workforce. However, there are many factors that act as barriers to recruitment. Some of these factors are systemic in nature. My EdD research focuses on exploring if dress code is one symptom of a larger diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation that is prohibitive to recruiting diversity within the field.
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