Make an Impact During NSLHM

It’s National Speech-Language-Hearing Month (NSLHM)! While you raise awareness about communication disorders and the role you play in providing life-altering treatment, you can also MAKE AN IMPACT by shaping policies that impact your profession. During the month of May, we’re calling on all ASHA members to help support federal legislative efforts by sending prewritten messages (you can personalize!) to your members of Congress on a variety of issues impacting audiologists, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), audiology and speech-language pathology assistants, and the people you serve.

Virtual Advocacy Opportunities

1. Pick an issue to advocate on. You can check out ASHA’s Take Action campaigns and the 2024 Public Policy Agenda for ideas. Here are just a few:

   • Tell Congress to Improve Medicare Beneficiary Access to Audiology Services

   • Make Telehealth Access Permanent for Medicare Beneficiaries

   • Ask Congress to Expand Educational and Professional Training Opportunities for Audiologists, SLPs, and Assistants

   • Ask Congress to Ensure Interstate Compacts Have Access to Background Check Determinations

2. Review the prewritten message (and consider adding personalized text for greater impact).

3. Complete the form by filling in your name and home address (this identifies your elected officials).

4. Click "Send Message" to send the message to your elected officials.

Meet With Your Representatives

Congress isn’t in session during the month of August. During that time, many federal representatives return to their home districts and meet with constituents and/or hold town hall meetings that you can attend. Now is a great opportunity to meet with your federal (and state) representatives (in person or virtually). Take some time to prep for your meeting using ASHA resources.

Meeting with representatives or their staff members may seem intimidating, but it is a unique opportunity for you to create a relationship, share your story, and ask for their help. And remember: representatives are there to serve you. It’s their job to listen to their constituents’ concerns.

ASHA is here to help. We have tips to help you prepare and plenty of resources you can bring to your meeting. We are also happy to provide guidance (and help set up a meeting) if you reach out to us at federal@asha.org (for federal issues and planning) or states@asha.org (for state issues and planning).

Get Local With Your State

Many issues—like salary supplements, Medicaid rates, telepractice, hearing aid coverage, assistants, private insurance rates, protection from scope infringement, the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, and plenty more—rely on state and/or local governments to make change. ASHA Advocacy works closely with leaders and volunteers across the country to advocate at the state level. Learning about your state legislative process and priorities will help you impact change close to you.

Your state speech-language-hearing association can also help you! When you join a state speech-language-hearing association, you join a community of related professionals fighting for change that will positively impact you and the people you serve.

Get Social

Share your advocacy efforts with your social network and talk about the issues you’re passionate about.

Tag us on X (formerly Twitter) at @ASHAAdvocacy and @ASHAWeb and on Facebook at @ASHAAdvocacy and @ASHAWeb.

Be sure to use the hashtags #ASHAAdvocacy, #NSLHM, #audpeeps, #slpeeps, and #ashaassistants so we can see and share them too!

Questions?

Reach out to ASHA Advocacy staff for guidance.

• For federal issues, contact federal@asha.org.
• For state issues, contact ASHA’s state team.