We are pleased to announce Dr. Richard J. Welland as our next presenter for the School’s colloquium series. He will present from 12:00-12:50PM on Wednesday, 08 February 2023.
WHEN: Wednesday 08 February 2023, 12:00-12:50
WHERE: Friedman Room 355 or virtual (see below for link)
TITLE: How Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Can Influence Government Policy
ABSTRACT: Government policies often affect Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists more than just as Canadian citizens. Beyond the obvious effect government policies can have on public funding for communication health services, they can also affect clients’ access to barrier-free customer service, employment, transportation, built environments, health care, education, and information and communications. Why should Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists get involved? Isn’t that what the professional associations and colleges are paid to do? If Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists decide to become involved in influencing Government policy, how can they do so? What can Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologist expect as advocates? These are among the questions addressed as the speaker draws from his own experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist and disability advocate.
BIO: Dr. Welland recently retired from his post as Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at Brock University in St. Catharines, ON, where he worked for 25 years, to move to Victoria, BC. He is now a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of British Columbia (CSHBC) and a sessional instructor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Victoria. He holds a Ph.D. in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo, an M.H.Sc. degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario.
After working for over 12 years as a clinical Speech-Language Pathologist in Saskatchewan and Ontario, Dr. Welland returned to university to pursue his doctorate. His clinical and research interests focus primarily on speech, language, and cognitive-communication disabilities among adults with aphasia, dementia, and traumatic brain injury, and on medico-legal aspects of Speech-Language Pathology.
Dr. Welland was recently appointed to serve on the BC Government’s Accessible Service Delivery Standard Technical Committee. As a long-time advocate for people with disabilities, he also served on the Ontario Government’s Health Care Standard Development Committee, Metrolinx’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, and the Board of Directors for ARCH Disability Law. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC).
We look forward to seeing you on February 8!
If you are unable to attend in-person, but would like to join us virtually, please click here to RSVP for the Zoom meeting.