This topic is related to fostering systemic action by transforming systems and policies and redressing power differentials for justice within speech, language, and hearing sciences. The special focus is on addressing systemic discrimination and inequities, marginalization, and meeting the evolving needs of communities through responsive, inclusive, and identity-affirming practices in teaching, research, clinical practice, and professional education.

Proposals should critically examine how systems, policies, and practices create or dismantle barriers to equitable communication access and outcomes. Education, practice and/or research that addresses the implementation of interprofessional competencies specific to transforming systems and policies for justice should also be included in this topic area.

Teaching, Research, Clinical Practice and Professional Education

• Acknowledging and addressing the impact of systemic exclusion and discrimination related to socio-cultural factors across the discipline
• Transforming systems, policies, and practices to affirm and respond to individuals and families across unique developmental, cultural, linguistic, social, and identity backgrounds
• Removing systemic barriers and fostering justice within recruitment, retention, graduation, professional development, leadership development, mentorship, and career placement for students, faculty, and practitioners
• Transforming institutional accountability, administrative, and policy systems to advance justice
  Shifting power differentials and advancing justice to work in mutually beneficial partnership with community leaders, cultural mediators, interpreters, and translators across disciplines
• Identifying and dismantling systemic barriers in interprofessional education; practice; and translational, applied, or implementation research to foster justice-centered practices
• Transnational and international considerations that impede justice within the research or practice of clinicians, educators, and scholars based in the U.S.

Related Topics

Proposals involving historically marginalized groups and people who speak more than one language, and language variations other than Mainstream American English, without a primary focus on transforming systems and policies should be submitted to the primary topic area, for example:

• Proposals focusing on development, developmental disabilities, and communication outcomes for infants through preschoolers should be considered for submission to the Language in Infants Through Preschoolers topic area.
• Proposals focusing on development, developmental disabilities, and communication outcomes for school age children should be considered for submission to the Language and Learning in School-Age Individuals topic area.
• Proposals related to trauma-informed and/or trauma-responsive practices as it relates to patient care should be considered for submission to the Counseling, Trauma-Informed Care, and Contextualized Care topic area.