Advocacy is the act of voicing your support of a specific cause or policy. As audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and assistants, it is our responsibility to be aware of policies that affect our clients, patients and students and our professions and to educate others about those issues.
Advocacy is often thought of as a political process in which an individual contacts a state or US legislator to request that they support or not support a specific legislative act. However, we are also engaged in advocacy when we discuss issues of importance regarding a specific client or a workplace policy with our supervisors and colleagues. We can effectively improve the lives of our clients and ourselves through advocacy on issues regarding reimbursement for services, salaries, caseloads, and more. To research an issue, start at the ASHA State Advocacy Resources page.
Advocacy Works!
In 2012, SDSLHA advocacy efforts resulted in licensure for SLPs and SLPAs. Read about the grassroots effort to achieve universal licensure for SLPs and SLPAs in the ASHA Leader.
2020 Audiologists were added to the list of essential health care providers approved providers of telehealth services during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Telemedicine Billing and Policy Manual
2019 Audiologists and SLPs were added to the Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) Advisory Board
2015 Passage of Hearing Aid Assistance Program
South Dakota Eyes Universal Licensure March 1, 2012
Group Effort Yields Licensure Victory in South Dakota June 1, 2012
Student Advocates
Students, Did you know ASHA provides prewritten messages that can be personalized and sent to your elected officials regarding current advocacy topics? Go to https://takeaction.asha.org/asha/StudentIssues to learn more about how to take action when advocating for our professions. Be sure to go to the bottom of the page for information on sharing your advocacy efforts with your social network.
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